Otto Wagner – Artis Sola Domina Necessitas
Performance: Artis sola domina necessitas
(Start reading Wagner’s “Konstruktion”-Text to audience. Until motto “Artis Sola Domina Necessitas”. Briefly explain to audience that Wagner saw himself as architect and artist, and that architecture as art follows one rule:)
Art has only one master, and that is…. (Finger-snap to audience. Brief silence)
(Tap 3-rhythms onto the walls etc of room, improv. neccesity-emergency)
Necessary.
Necessary. Necessary.
Fireplace.
Necessary. Necessary.
Wall.
Necessity.
Notwendigkeit
Ceiling.
Necessary.
Floor. London.
Necessity.
London tube.
This is a hammersmith and district line service to Hammersmith.
Necessary.
Necessity. Necessity.
Emergency.
No Service on the northern line.
Notwendigkeit.
Service interrupted on the northern line.
Notwendigkeit
No-Not-No-Emergency
No.
Art has actually only got one master, and that is…. (Step onto stone. Lights out. Snap cigarette lighter into silence. Lighter slowly rises.)
Love
Love Burning
Gorgeous amazing love
My great gorgeous amazing shining love
My dear love
My love is my talent
Liebestalent
Love for talent for love
Talent
Das Talent
Talent for Love
Love for Talent
My love is my talent
Das Talent
My love is rising like a phoenix
My talent is burning
My shining whining love is burning
My love is burning.
My love is burning my talent is burning my love.
No love for talent
No.
Art has only one master, and that is….
(Extinguish cigarette-lighter in water (rhino-tub). Dive into water to manipulate voice. Splash and feel water.)
Water
Water
Wavy splashy water
Joyful water
Flowing holy water
Fluidity
Fluidity
Liquidity
Flüssigkeit
Das Wasser
Water
Circulation
Transportation
Wasserfluss
Wienfluss
Water is creation
The water of creation
recreation water
Wa-Wa-Wa-Water
War
Wa-Water-Slaughter
War.
Water slaughter.
No.
Art has only one master, and that is….
(Point to earth like Attenborough. Pick up earth-coated tiles. Walk around audience, offering to touch tiles with earth crust)
Earth Earth
The Earth
Mother earth
Touch the earth
Touch the earth of Austria
Erde
Erde
Earthiness
Birth of the earth
Birth of the the mother earth
Mother mater material
Material earth
Earth material
Erdigkeit
Geerdet
Touch the earth
The dirt
Soil
Erde Soiled
Soil Earth Soiled Earth
Dirty Earth
Dirty dirty Austria
No.
Art has only one master, and that is…. (silence)
(Back to rhino tub, immerse tiles in water, scrub with brush)
Virginity
Virginity
purity
Virginity
virginal purity
Cleaning for purity
Cleansing scrubbing
Cleaning the virgin earth
Young clean virgin earth
Cleansing of youth
Jungfräulichkit
Jungfrau
Cleaning the young lady
Reinigung der Jungfrau
Reinigungskraft
Cleansing virginity of youth
Virginity purity
virginal purity
Cleaning the lady
Purity my pure lady
cleaning
Lady cleaning
Cleaning lady
No! (keep Arms immersed)
Art has only one master, and that is….
(Pull out clean tiles)
Style
Style tile
Stylised
Stil. Stylised.
Sty
Sty.
Stylised
Style. Tile. Tile. Style.
Stil.
Der Stil.
Young style mas
Steal?
Steal style?
One master style tile?
Steal stile tile?
Steal Style?
Stolen style?
No!
Drops bad tile. Cockney. Aggressively flaunting original tile to audience.
Art has got got one master
Art has got got got
One master
One master
One one master
(Possibly slow image emergence of Otto Wagner. Shift to piano. Dramatic chords cut voice off. Then speaking over piano, gradually shift into religious singing.)
Art has only one master
Art has only one master
Art has only got one master wagner
Art has only got one master otto wagner
Art has only got one master otto wagner
Art has only got master
Art has only got one master
Shut piano lid. Stand up. Normal voice to Audience.
Art has only got one master, and that is…?
(Magical snaps over the heads of the audience. Questioning looks to everyone, hold tension, drop tension, exit, dark.)
END