Derby girls prepare for OsCene performance

I was out at The Rinks in Huntington Beach today, sneaking a peek as members of the Orange County and Long Beach roller derby leagues met to work out the details of their upcoming “exhibition match.” Orchestrated by Long Beach artist Jocelyn Foye, the format of the match will be loosely based on the childhood game of Red Rover, and will take place as part of the Laguna Art Museum’s OsCene 2010 survey of Orange County, Long Beach, and San Pedro artists.

Called Smashdown, the battle will happen on the evening of February 18, but will only be open to OsCene artists, members of the press, and special guests. In a very gutsy move, the Laguna Art Museum has designated an entire gallery for two teams of roller derby girls to get down and dirty in. During the match, each team will be “defending” a wall of fresh clay set up by Foye. The idea is that as the girls wreak havoc on each other, they will leave visible and unique imprints on the clay. Immediately following the match, Foye will pour liquid rubber or plastic over the clay to create a negative mold. Sections of these plastic or rubber pieces are then displayed as art, most often hung on the wall like paintings.

The roller derby match is the latest in a long-running series of cultural and sporting events that Foye has captured on clay and converted into a unique form of markmaking. Other events have included a wrestling match, a traditional Native American dance, a ballet dance, and a simulated cockfight.

Artist Jocelyn Foye (left, front) addresses
OC and LB roller girls

The girls check out a sample of wet clay

Michelle, Foye's project assistant,
helpfully displays the clay

In a demarcated area roughly matching the dimensions of the gallery, the girls begin working on their moves

Dirty Deborah Harry and B-Train
of the OC Roller Girls