Hot Stuff: Visual artist lighting himself on fire to promote new exhibit
A Vancouver visual artist is putting on a truly hot show via Instagram Live this weekend.
“SPICY BOYZ” by PEKOE, a live visual performance of full-body burn, will be streamed on the social media platform on Sunday, March 13 at 1 pm PT.
The painter, sculptor, and fashion designer was inspired to present the extreme performance piece after having a “bad day.”
PEKOE/Submitted
“‘SPICY BOYZ’ explores the narrative of, “this too shall pass.”
“Whether it be a negative experience or an exciting one, most human perception is temporary,” said PEKOE in an interview with Daily Hive. “It was on a bad day that I felt the need to do something extreme to jump-start the positivity in a big way.”
The artist says he wasn’t originally planning to do the burn as a performance, but instead was looking to do a piece of work for an exhibit.
“However, after acquiring an amazing team, building a narrative, and working through the stunt as a whole, I felt as though people should see it. I’m just as excited to see what happens on Sunday as anyone else is.”
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According to PEKOE, a full-body burn is a pyrotechnic stunt performed by an individual who lights themselves on fire in protective gear while under the expert supervision of a team of professional SPFX stunt coordinators.
“Something that I found interesting when training for this stunt is that most full-body burn stuntmen do not get burned, but develop hypothermia. Before you light yourself completely on fire you cover yourself in ice-cold fire-retardant gel and clothing. This lowers the body temperature enough to run the risk of developing serious health problems,” said PEKOE.
“The most interesting part of training, besides the breathwork and choreography, is the cold therapy. I have been spending my mornings neck-deep in the ocean off Third Beach in Stanley Park. Even in the cold winter, it’s one of the most beautiful spots in the city.”
PEKOE/Submitted
The Canadian-born artist has assembled a skilled ensemble to ensure his safety during his first-ever attempt at the fiery stunt. The team includes previous world record holder first-class pyrotechnician Colin Decker, renowned cinematographer Mathias Herndl, and acclaimed camera operator Kathy Herndl.
“This is the first time I’ve worked with Colin as a stunt coordinator and it’s been an interesting experience. Stuntmen are an interesting breed: half genius, half-mad,” he said.
“Mathias Herndl is one of the best Director of Photography on earth, winning an Emmy for his work with the National Geographic series, Genius. I couldn’t be more excited to have him and his wife Kathy, who’s an amazing camera operator, on board. I’m looking forward to watching these three and the rest of the team do what they do best.”
“SPICY BOYZ”, which is sponsored by William F. White Productions, will be a major part of PEKOE’S next solo exhibition premiering in late spring or early summer. The Vancouver exhibition will include his latest painting, sculpture, photography, film, installation, and clothing creations.
PEKOE/Submitted
PEKOE says he is always looking for ways to be creative.
“I have continually added new tools to my artist tool belt along the way. Besides having an amazing high school art teacher, I have been 100 percent self-taught in my endeavours,” shared PEKOE.
“I hope my performance on Sunday allows the viewer to briefly escape their reality. To tune in and tune out of their day, if only for a short moment to witness something different. And hopefully ‘SPICY BOYZ’ doesn’t turn into ‘CRISPY BOYZ.'”
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