Society & Culture
What do peanut recipes, mysterious photographs and compost have to do with artist mayfield brooks? In their upcoming performance, “Viewing Hours,” mayfield brooks embraces the tradition of artists putting their bodies on the line for the sake of their practice. Upon entry, audiences are met with the sight of mayfield lying naked and prone under 40 pounds of compost, in simulation of a wake. In this piece, brooks uses their training as a dancer, performer and urban farmer to examine the commodification, death and decay of black bodies, and to investigate the act of witnessing and profiting off of black grief. mayfield brooks recently joined MacKenzie in the studio to discuss George Washington Carver, Marsha P Johnson and improvising while black. “Viewing Hours” will be performed on January 20th at the 8th Floor in Manhattan. For more tickets and information, visit: https://bit.ly/2u6nFHX