Influence: Survival Research Laboratories

I write fiction about performance artists because they feel like such easy targets.  When I see an easy target for ridicule and parody, I immediately want to push for more empathy.  What do people think of when I say "performance artist?"  Is it narcissistic monoperformers in love with the sound of their own voices?  I have been deeply moved by performance art, and that is the feeling I want to convey.  And it can be pretty badass, rowdy, and fun, not to mention smart.  And often illegal, like the performances in my stories.

One of my early influences was Survival Research Laboratories, based in San Francisco, who have been doing machine-based performance since the 1980s.  Below are a few videos.  I love the titles.  Enjoy!