This piece is a version of an ongoing conversation between two cultural producers who are close, long?erm friends. Each is seeking to expose to the other something of his own understanding of his complicated and evolving sense of himself as a gendered, sexual, thinking human being. There is no attempt to solidify a position or come to agreement since the underlying proposition is that, while individual integrity is of utmost importance, there is no singularly solid position to take and no right way to be a person.
Jordy Jones (J.J.) What is a man?
Doran George (D.G.) Help!
I suppose the easiest way to answer this would be to say he is a highly contested phenomenon. I? like to say that what a man is depends entirely on self?dentity. Anyone who says, ? am a man is one. Defining sex by individual choice would be the most democratic solution and, intuitively, would be the use of the term that would result in the greatest happiness. (pgs. 123-124)
Doran George is an artist, dancer, writer, and curator. His “live art” work has been staged across Europe and the United States and has ranged from him being encased in brick for a working day to having a sexual relationship as an art practice. He has been supported by the London Arts Board; The Arts Council of England; The British Council; Chisenhale Dance Space; Arnolfini, Artsadmin; The Finnish Arts Council; The Arts Council of North Savo (Finland); Stichting Fonds De Trut (The Netherlands); and others. He has curated for ?he International Transgender Film Video Festival (U.K. and The Netherlands), ?ital Signs Festival (U.K.) (interfaces between disability politics and contemporary art), and Chisenhale Dance Space. He regularly contributes to symposia and is published in print and on the web in dance, film, and performance art journals and art publications. Doran has a B.A. in experimental dance and choreography and an M.A. in Feminist Performance. He teaches in universities in he United States, Britain, and Central Europe.