Personal trainers demonstrate unproductive thinking

RESEARCH BACKGROUND 'Personal trainers demonstrate unproductive thinking' contributes to the broad field of video art and the narrow field of performative video that uses physical gesture and humour to explore interpersonal dynamics. The peer community includes the collaborative collective 'Barbara Cleveland' (AUS) and Mary Reid Kelley (USA). Key characteristics of this scholarly debate include performances that use minimal staging, costumes, physical repetition and humour to explore psychological dynamics in a stylised way. Recent exhibitions that have influenced this debate include 'The Humours' at MUMA (2017). This creative work seeks to extend this field by being exhibited outside of a gallery context, in this instance, a television monitor within the Deakin University gymnasium. CONTRIBUTION This creative work explores how the screening context of a gymnasium can amplify and enhance a performative video artwork. In other words, how can the codified environment of a gymnasium extend themes within the video such as humour and stylised movement between people? Two personal trainers from the Deakin gym were filmed wearing generic uniforms and performing a repetitive pushing and stroking movement within an empty space. The movement suggests tenderness or tension depending on the pressure applied. The video gained further levels of signification when viewed alongside training routines within the gym, as well as the highly stylised and performative daytime television broadcast throughout the space. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE This Creative work was commissioned for 'Unproductive thinking', an exhibition exploring contemporary anxieties around productivity, usefulness and self-improvement at Deakin University Gallery. The exhibition featured several high profile Australian artists, including Ian Milliss, Simon Zoric, Eugene Carchesio and Jessie Bullivant. A 36-page catalogue was produced with essays by Associate Professor Justin Clemens and Curator James Lynch.