SUBJECT, 2012

SUBJECT, 2012 from James Koroni on Vimeo.

The questions that SUBJECT asks are, "Who is a subject? To what do we subject others? Is this a subject worth considering?" In philosophy, a subject is a being that has subjective experiences, a subjective consciousness or a relationship with another entity.

In SUBJECT we reveal the intimacy of human and non-human relationships, validating them as subjects, which departs from their popular assignment as objects to be subjected to human will, whim and desire.

In SUBJECT, I perform for, with and around these rescued farm animals at the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, and they acknowledge my presence. They are viewers. As a performer I evoke emotional responses, some jovial and affectionate and others curious and reserved. They are complex sentient being and all respond as individuals.

To meet the animals visit, http://woodstocksanctuary.org/.

Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary

Photography by Joshua Katcher of TheDiscerningBrute.com

I took a trip up to Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary today to spend some time with often misunderstood farm animals. I was accompanied by Joshua Katcher, Elizabeth Castoria and Leanne Mailey Hilgart whom are dear to my heart!

The most beautiful element of the animals on this farm is that they have the freedom to wander the fields and socialize with one another just as we do in our daily lives. Their personalities are charming and they each have a heart wrenching story of how they were abused, restrained and left for dead on livestock farms. The owners of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, Jenny Brown & Doug Abel, intervene in these cases and give them a permanent and safe home.

As a dancer I am very inspired by the way they communicate. Through affection and thoughtful actions they demonstrate honesty, sensitivity and with a playful nature. They are fearless to share love and once a bond of trust is built you have a friend for life. It's tough knowing that livestock farming is the number one cause of global warming, where animals live in extremely cruel conditions and are later sent to be killed for food. They're treated as objects rather than sentient beings with a will to live and breath. Eating animals has been scientifically proven to cause many life threatening diseases. Change is imperative for the survival of life on this planet, this is why I respect and love animals and rebel against cultural pressure to participate in activities that are responsible for the very downfall of existence.

We spent our day relaxing with sheep, nuzzling up to turkeys and being entertained by the jovial goats. I never knew how playful and emotional farm animals were until I had met them face to face. Here are a few moments from our experience.

You too can have your very own experience with these delicate animals. Their visiting hours can be found here, Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.