Mr. Akita – A Performance by Cliff Hengst

Mr. Akita Written and directed by Asher Hartman Performed by Cliff Hengst Mr. Akita is an abstract poetic and comedic dialogue written for painter and performance artist, Cliff Hengst and the op art painting ‘Sunburn (Split) 1’ by Emily Joyce. Hengst’s magnetic portrayal of a comedian, hustler, and one-time painter gives voice to an understanding of the elusive nature of art making while the aura of ‘Sunburn’ returns silent response. Mr. Akita strains the complexities of the artist’s role with regard to labor, class, desire, and to art institutions, issues splintered by the artist’s internal struggle in a society still ambivalent about art. Yet the painting’s delicate, hard-edged void attracts Hengst and draws him into memories of a relationship with a fallible, possibly malicious, teacher named Mr. Akita, a suspicious composite of the painter de Kooning and a dog. Performance Schedule: Friday 3 March 2017, 8pm Saturday 4 March 2017, 8pm Sunday 5 March 2017, 3pm Tickets to this event are $15. Click here to purchase tickets. Please note this performance is not suitable for children.