“Spontaneous Combustion” was developed using structured improvisation. The main themes include, Guinea Pigs, Eyeballs, Renavia (the journey of a woman who is half-human and half-machine) who meets her doctor who is also the Pop Star singing about being Crazy for a Day (line: I spent most of my life under the setting sun, Searching for truth my journey has just begun/Cracked Eggs song: Cracked Eggs is a sign of hope, helping those in need.) This is truly a crazy ride for the audience from Amazing Grace to the Vegetarian Wolf to the world cracked into pieces; bits of Austrich Eggs float in the air.
Themes and characters were developed by Erica Mosco and Jeff Pippin who both suffer from mental challenges. This piece demonstrates the high level of creativity from people who live outside of society. The music is by Shawn Mafia and Jeff Pippin.
They take themes in their lives filled with disability and joy. Both are now teaching a class developing a mental health coloring book called “See, See, See, More! Listen with your Eyes” where they collaborated with Claudia Bouche, Neil Doshin, Lesley Matamorous and Georgeann Dean who are contemporary artists funded by Creative Corps.
We must mention Harley Spiller and Martha Wilson from Franklin Furnace who have provided steady support for “Cracked Eggs” since it began in 2001 and Martha sat on the board of the sponsoring organization Bezerk Productions. The company received a $1.5 million dollar grant in 2021 to facilitate Linda Sibio’s movement, voice and visual art work with people who have mental differences. Linda and colleagues are on Cohort 6 and it is getting more and more popular.
Erica Mosco is one example of someone who started with our Cracked Eggs workshops with the San Bernardino County/office of Innovation and made art a central point in her life. This exemplifies Bezerk Productions/Linda Sibio’s goal: to give courage and strength to those in need!
Video documentation of the February 14, 2024, 7:30 – 8:30pm ET event of Spontaneous Combustion: Linda Sibio and Cracked Eggs in Performance. Recorded on Zoom, edited by Graham Kolbeins and Xinan Ran
About the presenters:
Linda Sibio
Linda Sibio was awarded a Franklin Furnace Fund in 1992 to bring her performance work, “W.Va. Schizophrenic Blues,” to the Brooklyn Bridge Anchorage, with production by Creative Time. Since then, Linda has incorporated issues around insanity as a major component to her artistic practice. In 1985, she taught performance classes for the Los Angeles Poverty Department where she first began collaborating alongside people with mental differences. This led her to write the book, “Reflections in a Broken Mirror,” and develop her philosophical stance, “The Insanity Principle.” Linda has exhibited her fine art projects in Los Angeles, New York, The Netherlands, and with organizations such as Cooper Union School of Art, High Desert Test Sites, LAMP, Morongo Basin Mental Health, and Art Possibilities and Pathways. “Economics of Suffering Part IV,” her solo exhibition at Craft Contemporary in Los Angeles was presented from September 31, 2023 through January 7. 2024, concluding with a standing room only crowd for her performance “Wall Street Guillotine.”
Erica Mosco
“From the early age of 7, I discovered my passion for drawing, and throughout my life, art and my faith have been instrumental in helping me navigate the ups and downs. In my mid-50s, I had the privilege of joining an art class called Cracked Eggs, led by the talented Linda Sibio, who became my mentor. Under her guidance, I honed my artistic technique and expanded my creativity. Since then, I have successfully completed two full courses and now utilize art as a means to support individuals with mental illness, using my skills to make a positive impact in their lives.”
Jeff Pippin
Driven by a passion for helping others and art, my personal development was shaped by my diagnosis of Severe Social Anxiety Disorder. Through music and graphic art, I found solace and strength, enabling me to overcome the challenges of Social Anxiety and pursue a career in public speaking. Recognizing my aptitude for technology, I obtained credentials in Adult Education to empower and educate adults in technical skills. Now, I am dedicated to using my artistic talents, technological expertise, and personal experiences to positively impact lives through teaching, creating art, and advocating for mental health awareness.
Shawn Mafia
Shawn Mafia worked on this piece as musical director and guest performer. He is the poet laureate of Joshua Tree who has made a career of working with street people and investigating themes on the dark side of life.
Graham Kolbeins
Graham Kolbeins (they/he) is a Canadian queer filmmaker, writer, and designer living in 29 Palms, California. They are the director of the feature documentary Queer Japan, a kaleidoscopic portrait of sexuality and gender identity in contemporary Japan. Their short films include “The House of Gay Art” and “PAISA,” with co-director Dorian Wood. Kolbeins’ documentary web series, Rad Queers, profiled subjects including visual artist Edie Fake and Latinx leather organization Payasos L.A. In 2016, the Japan-U.S. Friendship Council named Kolbeins a recipient of their Creative Artists Exchange Fellowship. They are most recently the director of photography on “Willa Justice: Drag Queen Private Eye,” a comedic short film shot in the high desert, starring Lady Chilane and Scott Turner Schofield.
Franklin Furnace’s digital LOFT programming is supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts, and the friends and members of Franklin Furnace
NEA Big Read program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. (El Proyecto NEA Big Read es una iniciativa del National Endowment for the Arts (el Fondo Nacional para las Artes de Estados Unidos) en cooperacion con Arts Midwest
Bezerk Productions is the recipient of a grant from the California Arts Council.
