ISSUE ONE ______________________________

COLLECTIVE THINKING ______________________________

feat. R.O.C.K.E.T COLLECTIVE

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Collective Thinking 4/6 R.O.C.K.E.T Collective 1

R.O.C.K.E.T COLLECTIVE Influenced by New Age visions of Nature, the Lemon detox diet, colonic Irrigation, poorly applied fake tan and

the Sun-Herald’s ‘My day on a plate’ column, R.O.C.K.E.T Collective is a Sydney group of performance-based

artists who take great interest in the forms of participatory exchange which arise out of food preparation and

eating. By using humor and along with food, which they ascribe as a primary “tool of engagement” R.O.C.K.E.T

provoke discussion not only regarding the role of food in contemporary culture but also comment on social

identity and challenge the dialectics of artist audience relations.

YOLK COLLECTIVE YOLK Collective is a not-for-profit collective comprised of six Art Theory students from COFA. YOLK

Collective’s objective is to create opportunities and editorial for emerging artists. We also write artist profiles,

exhibition reviews, quirky articles, essays, and some of our projects include small focus exhibitions and events.

In an artistic climate where opportunities are hard to come by, we decided to make our own and provide

some for others in the process.

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SO HOW DID YOU GUYS MEET? AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ROCKET FOR?

In the second half of last year, our friend Sebastian was given a bunch of money from Arc, the student

organisation at COFA, to start a raw food club on campus. The first R.O.C.K.E.T meeting involved some pretty

unpalatable smoothies and guacamole smothered celery sticks but by the end of the year we developed an

appreciation for avocado cakes, green smoothies and each other! Eventually, the meetings became as much

about group discussion and sharing ideas as they were about devising experimental pairings of raw ingredients

so we started making works together in early 2012.

CAN YOU FURTHER EXPAND ON THE PHILOSOPHY OR THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF YOUR

WORK?

We’ve spent this year developing works in response to philosophies of food worship in contemporary society.

We’ve been researching what motivates people to follow extreme dietary regimes such as raw foodism,

paleolithic diets and liquid detoxification programs and how these diets stem from a common desire for a

‘pure’ mode of being. We’ve framed our performances around using food as a tool of engagement with the

audience, who may be invited or coerced into participating with the action taking place.

WHERE IDEALLY DO YOU LIKE TO PERFORM OR EXHIBIT?

Ever the opportunists, we perform any chance we get. Like a hybrid 4WD vehicle we are able to handle any

terrain and climate. As such, we’ve performed in the arid zones of NSW, a fresh food market, a carpark and in

more traditional gallery spaces. Ideally, our next project would be an international affair, executed in transit -

somewhere over the Pacific perhaps? Inflight meals could definitely benefit from some creative revision.

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“OUR CREATIVE PROCESS IS DRIVEN BY GROUP DISCUSSION,

CHANCE ENCOUNTERS AND

ESTABLISHED TRUTHS SUCH AS THE INDUBITABLE MAGNIFICENCE

OF GOLD FOG LYCRA.”

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YOU GUYS WERE PART OF NEXT WAVE FESTIVAL LAST MAY? CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE

ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE, AND THE WORK YOU EXHIBITED THERE?

We performed, 24 Carrot Gold, as part of the Fresh Produce closing party, held in the Queen Victoria Markets

down in North Melbourne. In the lead up to the festival we were thinking about dietary reductionism, and

picturing fantasy societies that worshipped a single food group or item. That train of thought led us to create

an ambassadorial delegation from the planet Kerotonia, beamed down from the far reaches of the universe to

spread their intergalactic message of carrot appreciation to the Next Wave audience. On the night, dressed in

our official ambassadorial ensembles, we pulped 100 kg of carrots and offered the elixir to attendees in an

elaborate juicing ritual.

WHAT DOES PERFORMANCE MEAN TO YOU?

Collective action in costume.

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IN A WORLD WHICH PLACES GREAT EMPHASIS ON INDIVIDUALISM, HOW DO YOU RECONCILE

YOUR BELIEF IN IN COLLECTIVITY AND COMMUNITY?

When developing our R.O.C.K.E.T projects we’re always hyper-conscious of becoming self-indulgent - of not

being useful in some way to the audience. Maybe it’s a very Australian thing, to be sensitive to the threat of

“wankerism”, and suspicious of the perceived arrogance of individualism. We try to make works that give back

to the audience, whether it be filling their bellies, entertaining them, or provoking them into critically

considering their own relation to food and art. Community engagement is a term paraded all too frequently in

local Government campaigns, but it is something that makes us feel good about making work and performing

together.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE COLLECTIVE MOVEMENTS?

Frantically fake tanning in the disabled toilets at the Queen Victoria Markets before our 24 Carrot Gold

performance was pretty memorable. Another highlight was a performance at Kudos Gallery which involved

shoving an orange wedge into the Dean of COFA’s mouth whilst yelling at him to ‘smile!’ through a shiny gold

amplifier: a golden moment of collective bullying.

WHAT’S ON THE CREATIVE CARDS FOR R.O.C.K.E.T OVER (EITHER) SUMMER OR THE NEXT

FEW MONTHS?

We’re treating Yolk Collective friends and fans to a taste of R.O.C.K.E.T at the fiesta on the 9th December.

We’re also developing some new works for a couple of group shows coming up early next year, details to be

confirmed. Last but not least, there are plans afoot, depending on finances, to converge in Hungary in April

next year for a ROCKET reunion extravaganza.

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS IN THE MORNING?

Not fertilised! Scrambled and split three ways!

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THANK YOU R.O.C.K.E.T Collective & to all collectives involved.

Images courtesy of R.O.C.K.E.T Collective

We would also like to thank Arc @ COFA and Frontline Print.

YOLK COLLECTIVE Oliver Godsell

Paloma Gould

Georgie Hannam

Vanessa Low

Tahjee Moar

Olivia Welch

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yolkcollective.blogspot.com

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r.o.c.k.e.t_collective@hotmail.com

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