2022–2023 COMMISSION: M A HARMS
Boss Witch Productions was created to establish a sustainable, artist-driven infrastructure for the creation of experimental, site-specific work. Through commissioning new work, we are highlighting the voices of artists integral to our community, especially those aligned with our focus on experimental sound art, ritual performance, video art, and transmedia collaboration within natural landscapes and unusual performance space.
Boss Witch commissions provide monetary support through an artist fee and a stipend for materials. We also offer non-monetary support in the form of event production, documentation, and regular meetings for mentorship in ideation, production, project finance, grant writing, and more.
our inaugural Boss Witch Productions commission IS a 2022–2023 collaboration with composer and performer m a harms.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
carnation, lily, lily, rose is a two-part project presented by LA-based artist M.A. Harms including an interactive installation at Coaxial Arts March 24–26 (carnation, lily) followed by an installation and performance at Human Resources Los Angeles on April 28 (lily, rose). This work is co-presented by Boss Witch Productions, Coaxial Arts, and Human Resources Los Angeles, and is developed with support from a 2022–23 Boss Witch Productions Commission.
carnation, lily: March 24–26, 2023 at Coaxial Arts Foundation | free admission, RSVP here
carnation, lily is an interactive installation that transforms Coaxial into the purgatory in which Kelly Link's short story takes place. Converted to a dingy seaside motel, pre-recorded music and various video ranging from found footage, white out illustrations, and stop motion animation will bring Coaxial to life as audience members are invited to walk through the space and embody the story’s main character.lily, rose: April 28, 2023 at Human Resources Los Angeles
lily, rose is an installation and performance at Human Resources Los Angeles that brings to life the world of Kelly Link’s short story through live music and theatrics by M.A. Harms, navigating the woeful and complex reflections of our anti-hero, the story’s main character, as he reflects on his life post-mortem. This project explores periods of sorrow, disgust, humor, and anger through the realization of musical performance, video found footage, white out illustrations, stop motion animation, and mannequin instruments.
-M.A. Harms on carnation, lily, lily, rose-
by siri gurudev for New Classic LA, April 21, 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
M A Harms is a Los Angeles-based composer, performer, and instrument builder who explores the intersections between grief, gender, and sex through a combination of text and sound. Their practice centers performance art and interdisciplinarity, imagining and creating sound using sculptural installations, found objects, electronics, mannequins, and placing equal significance on the visual experience of their work. M navigates literal stories and personal life events via sound practice, obscuring them to the point that they begin to bridge the gap between individual and “universal” experiences.
As a percussionist and interdisciplinary performance artist, M has worked with artists including Eric Lennartson, Daniel Newman-Lessler, and Jeonghyeon Joo. They received their MFA from California Institute of the Arts, where they studied with Tim Feeney and Nicholas Deyoe.