Breaking the hug barrier, part 2 Breaching.

I started to make an artwork entitled ‘breaking the hug barrier’. This work involved taking photos of ‘huggings’ under controlled circumstance, I asked people I had newly met if I could hug them and take a photo. During this time I was told of a sociological investigation called ‘breaching’, these breaching investigations are commonly associated with ethno methodology. The experimentation seeks to examine peoples’ reactions to violations of commonly accepted social rules or norms.

I decided to breach the norms and standards of the hug barrier under the guise of a mistaken identity. For instance in the street I would scream out ‘Charley’ or ‘George’, rushing up to the individual and immediately hug them.

For these breaches I had a witnesses present to observe the investigation and to give descriptions and reactions to the breach like facial expressions etc. For the witness accounts I asked Kevin MacNeil :

Breaking the Hug Barrier Part II: Breaching

A Piece of the Breach
If we emerge into this life with a slap, a wail and a hug, we never forget gentling into the reassuring bosom of that hug. Quite. I witnessed today – the 10th of July 2006 – David Sherry Breaking the Hug Barrier. Repeatedly.

Charlie the Cat
Herr Sherry begins by attempting to breach a particularly tough Hug Barrier. The Asian-German who is, from one (specific and non-existent) point of view, “Charlie!”, reacts to Herr Sherry’s endearing over-familiarity with a many-layered flinch of consternation.
His cat-like reflexes may or may not be honed by a skin-coloured interest in the martial arts; he pushes Herr Sherry in the chest, thrusts him away, firm, uncompromising, as if with an echo of Zidane’s incontrovertible Breach in last night’s World Cup final.
And Charlie the Cat continues walking on into a future that is neither fazed nor bemused.

Charlie No Problem
Charlie No Problem takes Herr Sherry’s Breach of the Hug Barrier in his stride. Naturally. Charlie No Problem is hard-wired to good-humouredness.
Sure, his height gives him an advantage that says, “I can look after myself,” but in reality it is his all-round, unthreatening, open-faced I’m-a-good-guy-ness, his wait-till-you-hear-what-happened-to-me-today-ness that makes smiling friends of his enemies.
Charlie No Problem would be a millionaire if he were cynical enough to exploit his innate decency for money. But if he thought of making money out of his beloved-ness he would not be Charlie No Problem. He is the kind of guy who Breaches the Hug Barrier himself from time to time, out of sheer ignorance that the Barrier exists.
I bet Charlie No Problem thinks he’ll live forever.

George Not Really
Herr Sherry’s world-class – but sadly deflected – hug with George Not Really is not only witnessed by me (loyal, scientific, impassive) but also by a tired old harridan whose staring expression might be most kindly described as nosy, disapproving and frankly downright depressing.
“George?” says Herr Sherry, opening into a large embrace.
“Heh heh! Not really. Heh heh!” chuckles George Not Really.
Do you think the old cailleach heard and learned from George Not Really’s laughter and his comment? Not really.