1st performance – Michigan Gallery, September 1988 – No real title for this 1st performance art piece. Just SATORI CIRCUS.
1st performance working title, October 1988, was ‘Vignettes‘. It was an assortment of pieces, with no obvious thread and ranging in theme and specific characters…acted out assisted by props and costumes. All vocals sung live to pre-recorded original music.
1990, came out with a self-promoted/distributed cassette titled, ‘Equilibrium‘. This was also the title for the performance art piece, that lasted for almost two years; rotating pieces in and out as they were created and ready to showcase. Still no linking thread…all individual pieces separate from one another. Premiered at 1515 Broadway, Detroit, MI.
‘Banter‘ was the 3rd performance art piece, presented at the only black theatre of the time, 1515 Broadway, downtown Detroit, MI. Once again no obvious thread amongst the pieces…with the exception of a 8mm film. This was projected in-between changing costumes and reading for the next piece. Its story line was very random as well. Another disjointed project.
In 1994, ‘Adam‘ hit the streets @1515 Broadway, downtown Detroit, MI. This was the 1st conceptual piece. Driven by topics related to men: big, small, drunk, gay, straight, misogynous, et al. It was a great success in Detroit. SATORI CIRCUS received the “Best Live Performance’ award from the 12th Detroit Music Awards; a Michigan Artist Mini-Grant; and a scholarship to University of Michigan to work on a M.F.A. degree.
1995, began the M.F.A. program
1996, NEW performance art piece at 1515 Broadway, titled ‘thejONEses‘. Again premiering at what would become my home, 1515 Broadway. This piece delved in to almost 50 years of popular culture. Quite an undertaking I must say. Some great stuff came of it and some…well…some other great stuff.
During the summer of 1996, SC did an internship at the ever famous, P.S. 122 in the lower east side of NYC.
Upon graduating with a MFA in 1997, SC released a book of lamented sketches (50 total) which were all processed by hand, titled ‘MOLTED‘; had an installation at a local Ann Arbor Gallery which was titled, ‘MOLTING‘, and a thesis performance art piece titled, ‘MOLT‘.
1998, moved back to Detroit and had a few performances around town and in Chicago, Akron, Cleveland and Windsor Ontario.
1999, went back to school again at Marygrove College and received a teacher’s certificate in Art. Taught K – through 8th grades in several schools in Southwest and Northwest Detroit…for about 5 years. Performances slowed down a bit.
In 2000 had a performance that was part of the Revolution Gallery in Ferndale, MI, titled ‘Ha, Ha‘. Received a national note through the now defunct art magazine, New Art Examiner.
2002 brought about a new performance art piece titled, ‘UNIVERSE‘, which was based on an individual who suffered from agoraphobia. This was presented by the Center Galleries on the campus of C.C.S.
After the 2002 performance, SATORICIRCUS had a bit of a walk-about…soul searching sort of a hiatus and returned to the Detroit scene in 2006 with brand new material and new blood coursing through his veins. This piece was titled, ‘MOSES:39‘, and performed in the winter at 1515 Broadway…a piece loosely based on his father’s life. It took quite a long time to create this performance art piece. A lot of stops and starts…and many years.’Moses:39‘ was the 1st full-length performance art piece for SC in over four years. It was also the 1st collaboration SC had truly embarked upon in over 18 years. Nearly everything up to this juncture, was created, and TimSuliman, that continues to this day to flourish. Not only did Suliman contribute to c0-authoring the music, but also produced and recorded it. The idea of this piece, being out of the scene for four years helped the thought process, but the idea was to strip everything down, elementary, raw and loud at times…the music was guitar and drums. Only three of the pieces had an additional bass line; a back up vocal; or piano. And the visuals were all created, as overlays to the stage – projected on to white sheets hanging as clothes on a line, by three overhead projectors.
Almost immediately following ‘MOSES:39‘, ‘FUNY AS HELL’, (funy pronounced ‘funny’) hit the Meadowbrook Theatre in the early spring of 2007.