Cally Spooner

TalkAction 17, Cally Spooner, c. Julian Hughes

(Photo credit: Julian Hughes)

TalkAction 10, Cally Spooner, c. Julian Hughes

(Photo credit: Julian Hughes)

TalkAction 19, Cally Spooner, c. Julian Hughes

(Photo credit: Julian Hughes)

TalkAction 7, Cally Spooner, c. Julian Hughes

(Photo credit: Julian Hughes)

No holds barred, no conditions, one field

Cally Spooner took as her starting point a videoed conversation between the cyclist Lance Armstrong, his sports masseuse, a silent journalist, and an off-camera saxophonist, published on the Daily Mail's website in 2013. Though presented as an organic conversation, this was quite clearly stage managed. Following an analysis of the interview it was then re-enacted by an actor, drummer and bass guitarist. A number of visual devices were deployed, offering clues as to what the conversation would reveal.

Cally Spooner lives and works in London. Using theory, philosophers, current affairs and pop cultural figures as alibis to help her write, and casts of arguing characters to help her perform, Spooner produces plotless novellas, disjunctive theatre plays, looping monologues and musical arrangements to stage the movement and behaviour of speech. Recent work has explored how high performance economies have affected speaking as a live, undetermined event. Her work includes writing, film, live performance, and broadcasting. Spooner’s productions have been presented at Performa 13, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Kunsthal Charlottenburg, Copenhagen; KW Institute, Berlin; Wysing Art Centre,UK; Jeu De Paume, Paris; Serpentine Gallery, London. 

Projects

Talk/Action

Exploring the "technologies" of conversation. Read more