Concordia artist explores the human body’s limitations and constraints through his multidisciplinary practice.
Inspiration for art can come from many places and experiences. For Dave Buschemeyer, his art helps him unpack his former life as a plumber, as well as the way his life and body was shaped by his battle with chronic Fibromyalgia, and all the trauma, limitations, and eventual contentment that came with these experiences.
The multidisciplinary Concordian artist and print media student explores these themes through his latest piece Where does it hurt? Through the use of multimedia, he shares the way his body was shaped by “the body” that was formed by Fibromyalgia, a disorder characterized by musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue and cognitive difficulties.
“When I was still a plumber, I started to feel my body losing its ability, which I knew was Fibromyalgia,” said Buschemeyer. “Fibromyalgia affects it all. From my movements, to pain in my joints and skin, brain fog, inability to walk or be physically active for a long period of time, and severe sleep problems.”
Buschemeyer’s current methods of working allow him to explore his physical limitations as a result of living with chronic pain. He also uses his practice to question the concept of traditional masculinity and the emotional and physical constraints of working in the plumbing industry.
“Prior to discovering performance art, my practice, mostly printmaking, was mainly focusing on spirituality and meditation, and performance added the physical exploration of the body to the mix,” explained Buschemeyer.
Buschemeyer’s creative career began with his early love for music, which allowed him to experiment with sound design and release several albums. When he started exploring printmaking, Buschemeyer merged his background in sound design with print media and recently discovered performance art into a cohesive piece of work in which self-expression and self-discovery are the core matters.
His exploration of sound design, performance, video art, and artist book shapes Buschemeyer’s current artistic practice — allowing his art to become a collection that packages textual and visual information about the artist and other printmaking mediums.
“I quit plumbing because I was miserable doing it and I knew it was not my ‘calling.’ I needed to get back to do something creative and life affirming. So, I sold most of everything I owned to come up with enough funding to make the move from Philadelphia to Montreal and go back to school,” said Buschemeyer.
Where does it hurt? incorporates all these art mediums as it follows a narrative of the artist’s sense of self. This piece consists of a video performance with original sound design and a hand-made artist’s book that creates a cohesive understanding of his story for the viewers.
“Each one, the book and the performance, can be explored independently. However, together, they picture a cohesive image of my journey,” said Buschemeyer.
In the performance video, the artist repetitively walks and crawls within the frame of the video with hand tools wrapped around his body. As the weight of the tools and the constrained range of movements affect his ability to continue, he pushes through and achieves control over his bodily limitations. The video illustrates the negative effects of mental and physical trauma on the body but also the triumph of overcoming his restraints through practicing personal strength and self-expression.
The artist’s book provides a space for the viewers to get more intimate with the elements in the video, such as the variety of the hand tools used and still shots of the performance, followed by several texts. Buschemeyer describes the performance as the physical aspect of “pain,” while the book is the metaphorical take on the mental and psychological aspect of his journey.
Where does it hurt? Was showcased at the VAV gallery as part of the Impermanence exhibition between Jan. 22 to Feb. 2, 2024.
Dave Buschemeyer’s works can be accessed on his website and Instagram account.
