Philip Lee

Live performance with water, clay
and pigments
Assisted by Bruce Currie

8 June 2007

The Arches
51-53 Southwark Street
London Bridge

Part of ACT ART 5 - Till Death Us Do Art curated by Oliver Frost &Marc Massive

For the early part of the all night event Philip Lee performed Water I:

Lying naked on an MDF box draped in birthing pool liner, Lee awaited audience participation, prompted and guided by Bruce Currie. On the floor, around the tomb-like box, was an array of wooden frames, similarly draped in plastic, containing water or red, yellow and blue coloured liquid clay. People were invited by Bruce Currie to cover Lee in the colours however they wished. When his body was covered Lee then rose from the box and stood on a low plinth before ritually washing the marks off. Lee returned to lie on the box in order for process to be repeated.

Water I was a departure for Lee because the emphasis was on the washing rather than the marking of the body. Also, lying down and allowing people to control and mark his body was new.

"Act Art 5 - Till Death Us Do Art was the fifth annual London interdisciplinary art and club event curated by Oliver Frost and Marc Massive. AA5 was a collaboration of some of the world's finest underground interdisciplinary artists and DJs, a celebration of non-mainstream artistic practices and subcultures. As well as an invaluable platform to showcase new art works by a range of artists from different cultural backgrounds and genders who are united by an interest in the body and a passion for works that are experimental, radical, confrontational and non-mainstream."