Guerrilla Suspensions are always a fantastic time. The can sometimes be very risky but they are very exhilarating. Being able to suspend outdoors is, in my opinion, just one of the best ways to suspend. Being outside can be very symbolic of having no restrictions and can offer the chance to feel purely free. Recently Blood, Sweat, & Terror, a suspension team from Western Australia, put together and facilitated a beautiful Guerrilla Suspension in Perth.
I had a chance to chat with them about the experience and I wanted to share the experience from the views of 2 of their members: G.R. Inder and MsVV.
“BST crew members: MsVV, Tegan, Photographer X and myself G.R.Inder.
Photographer X found the location a few months ago in a refurbished public space backing onto an affluent west Perth suburb. We knew straight away it would make an awesome suspension point.
The sculpture is constructed out of rolled pipe with the butterflies wielded on top so there were plenty of options for anchor points. I had considered using a single anchor point with a rope and pulley system to raise and lower MsVV, it would have made for a quicker set up, but the sculpture is very beautiful and it would be shame not to try and create a suspension as complimenting as possible and utilize the sculpture to the fullest, so I opted for fixed anchor points on the outer ring of the sculpture making it an integral part of the angel suspension.
The structure had an outer diameter and height of 4.7 m, so we used an elevated platform so that we could set the anchor points, it made the rigging faster and safer to set up and take down. The platform was used also to lower and raise MsVV into position for the angel suspension. We all dressed as though we were working on the sculpture. We closed of foots paths, and set out road cones, so for any one going past, it looked like we were doing some sort of maintenance.
We chose to suspend at dawn as there would be less foot traffic and also to catch the morning light. After a week of bad weather, Western Australia turned on blue skies and as the sun came up we launched MsVV out into the sun, it was amazing.
We had no problems from set up to take down, it all went very smoothly. We got in and out, without losing a man.”
G.R.Inder
“The opportunity to do a public guerrilla suspension.” By MsVV
“The opportunity to do a public guerrilla suspension appealed to my secret subversive and exhibitionist nature. The planning and waiting almost drove me mad. Was the weather going to be right on the day? We had been having nothing but squally rain for weeks and already cancelled one attempt. The forecast for that morning was for more showers but we hoped for the best. In the end the universe provides for an angel, because it was all systems go on the best morning possible when we arrived on site that bright and sunny morning.
I wasn’t really nervous as I watched my team members attend to the rigging. I just wanted to be up there.
A few people wandered by and asked me what they were doing up there. ‘Art’ I said self-importantly, ‘We’re making art.’ They looked interested for a while and moved on.
Later when I was hanging up there wearing a blindfold, oblivious to everything going on around me I tried briefly to get a sense of myself in that amazing sculpture, the rigging, the wonderful intensity of the hooks, the dress moving against me in the breeze. Art? I thought, and I was humbled by the arrogance of my words, this was something so much more personal.”
MsVV
My website:
http://write-and-ramble.com/2013/10/30/blood-sweat-terror-perth/
Read original for Hooklife: http://www.suspension.org/hooklife/blood-sweat-terror-perth/