Commonwealth & Council, Los Angeles, California
July 11, 2015–August 15, 2015
The press release for Laub’s solo exhibition Oh Be Gentle is the script to Laub’s video Believe me when I say that was featured in the exhibition.
Believe me when I say script: Its pretty magnificent- it changed the presence- snip, snip, snip– who’s we?- awkward pause– get dressed- Your power- I felt it- snip, snip– We’d have to get an atomic bomb- And a helicopter- and some big fucking guns- brainwashing- snap– get out of here- poof its gone- we would be a unit- we wouldn’t be competitive- go as a team– snip, snip, snip– ffoooogh- belly poke- welcome it- say hello- ball of joy- orifice- big hole- hand hole– pause– snip– breaking those out- walls up- to fend off- you don’t let the other stuff in- ffffhhhh- pause –snap snap– putting your force fields up- pshssshphsh– hands up– we have the force fields up as a mode of survival- snip-what if that was a choice?- it is a choice isn’t it? pause– do it- learn- (breath of holy air)– sun glasses on- on fire- snip– smile– who’s you?- nod– Would you know a name?- hand rub– You’re the hero- Earth’s here- You’re here- Heaven’s here- And you’re here- Hell’s down here- You’re here and you’re here- How did we get here?- On another plane together- Right here- What would you be doing?- Hmmmm- Control system– Human body- God’s just gonna wipe it way-right here- snip– control- this one- splah- and this one- pggoohhh- A-B-A-B-A-B-A-B- snip– there’s a boundary that’s been pushed away- take it down- Do you think we could do that?- Believe me I have thought about it- I can’t even think about doing something like that- Listen- There’s a lot of shit that you don’t know- snip– there’s rules being made- snip– I have no training or practice- It’s ok you can learn from me- stand- hand wipe– belly poke– white clouds and cotton candy, poofy shit- snip- we’ve never tried to leave either- I’m always carrying the worms around-entered through the back door- Who’s done it?- down here we got a thing going on- there’s no good and bad- poofs- you gotta get your hands on that shit- go fetch that- mmmmaaaa- the binary- 2- tighten- squeezing you together like that fucking tight- snip, snip– blllobllooogh- in betweens- What’s the in between?- next level- expand- take the inside pull it out- shifting– where are we going?- We would walk there together- nothing can be that certain- mmmmaaaggghhhall the adults have died- pfffppfppfppff– belly poke– pause– you know the back story right? going forward- it takes a brave soul to really head out there and do what you’re gonna do- 3-1-2-3-1-2-3- 3s as far as we can go right now- I want those nice shoes- I want that nice shirt- Is that the shield?- I’ve become an adult- A-B-C- 100%- snip– eeewww- snip– I’m not trying to just shoot you down- I have no idea what’s going on- eyes closed- in and out and through- snip-split is going vertically- we’d be on this side- this is the other side- being-being- period- in out and through- oh yeah yeah right right right- we’d have to have a secret language- snip, snip– belly poke– own it- decorate it, renovate it- its the actual constructed- live in it- A confident super hero always wears his costume every minute of the day- snip, snip, snip– if we got caught and we fail- capacity- is your world like a good and a bad?- yeah, probably- we can’t have that- you got a lot to learn- this is me teaching you– belly poke– eyes closed- snip– I didn’t realize things were gonna change- snip– check it prayer stair- magic- a lot has changed- tick tick- wooshhooo-and I wanna hang out for a while- this is a new place a new territory- explore a little bit- listen-you ready for it?- snip, snip– yeah I can handle that- I’m pretty cool- I can do whatever I want-the journey over there- you wanna take me on this journey- snip, snip, snip– you don’t jump ship to a smaller ship- you’re not really a risk taker?- I’m unclear about exactly the journey- snip–yawn-well me too- I just know I want to go- I’m not making any promises- It takes some confidence- you got to practice- living- snip– belly poke– where are we going?- and you want me to go with you?- You can’t go alone?- I don’t know man I don’t have it in me yet- alright- yeah but- flick– it’s not sustainable- there’s not enough resources- check it– its all connected- its ingrained- ffffffff- oooooooo- snip, snip– walking on air- you kind of got to destroy God- God is pretty powerful- would you be able to tell?- 3 has a limit- What’s the opposite of that?- Not being able to comprehend, misunderstanding, confusion, complexities, layers, misalignment- fthsh-jerking off- what if we just sat here in our underwear?- you’re taller- you’re short- snip, snip, snip– What is death?- snip, snip, snip– what if it is real?- ooooo- loving you- snip loving you- You think I have magic?- snip– Do you have magic?- snip– you’re a baby– snip– who’s the 3?- snip-What’s a who?- snip– Who’s the who?- snip– learn from the one’s you want to learn from-, snip, snip– remember always to listen- snip, snip, snip– what the fuck are you doing?- special togetherness- culminating a relationship- snip, snip, snip– What was the question?- It’s not right, and its not wrong- snip, snip, snip– believe me when I say- snip, snip– blablallaallg- believe me when I say- snip, snip, snip– knock knock- wapush- Who are you?- snip, snip, snip– yawn– snip, snip, snip– stair- smile- snip, snip– believe me when I say- snip, snip, snip– in time- blowing a kiss- snip, snip, buzz– completing sigh- are you there?- God is here– happiness + disappearing act.