what is public love?
Vascillating somewhere between John & Yoko's Bed-In and a somewhat twisted version of Jane Fonda & Robert Redford's newlywed bliss in Barefoot in the Park and alot like the last 24 hours of your own life, The Public Love Project is a series of 6 two week love performances in which Love Artist
Kathe Izzo commits herself to live and love in public space with 6
different (race, age, sexuality, gender) individuals from around the
world. The participants will be chosen with as much diversity as
possible, bringing together a broad range of age and race, as well as a
variety of sexual orientations and gender identifications.
The relationships will also vary in intensity, mixing total strangers
with participants with whom there has been some previous connection,
but that due to life's logistics, actual physical contact with the
artist has been minimal.
In addition to the simple theater of living and loving together, there
will be ongoing portraits taken by each participant of the other,
simple snapshots that will be mounted together, side by side to record
a moment in time and love. These snapshots and whatever other writings
and artwork conceived during the installation will be available to the
public in the gallery and via the internet.
Although the focus is on the relationship between the primary
participants, interaction with the viewing public will be seamless,
encouraged and allowed. Private love appointments with the public lovers,
together and/or separately, will be available at various times throughout
the installation.
The structure of these private appointments are as vast as the definitions of love:
"The love takes many forms platonic love, romantic love, sibling love, art love . . . eating is always good . . . I am very quiet, responsive and attentive, I let you speak to me (in many ways not only physically, verbally . . . I like to find the crack in the completely smooth wall and I know how to let it come to me, and that needn't be intrusive. It's pretty gentle and most people like it a lot.”
TRUE LOVE PROJECT FOUNDER, KATHE IZZO
