Blocking

1974, 17 min, color, sound

Blocking is General Idea's document of a 1974 performance at the artist-run center The Western Front in Vancouver, one of a series of performances that began with the Miss General Idea Pageants of 1970 and 1971 and became part of the extended project The 1984 Miss General Idea Pavilion. Just as the Miss General Idea Pageant functions for General Idea as a "simulacrum of the art world," Blocking is a media artifact that resists the traditional notion of video as record. Its purpose was to "rehearse" the audience staging and reactions in preparation for the actual 1984 Miss General Idea Pageant; the intention was that if all the rehearsal performances were eventually cut together, there would not be a need for the actual pageant.

Starring: Granada Gazelle, Jorge Zontal, Felicks Partz, AA Bronson. With: Sandy Stagg, Myra Peanut, Keith Donovan. Introducing: Jackie Oasis. With: 84 extras as the 'Audience.' Lighting: Lady Brute. Music: Hank Bull's Band. Stills: Marcel Idea, Sally Peanut, Dr. Brute. Film: Byron Black, Mr. Peanut, Susan Sutherland. Western Front Film & Video.