Performance artist Guillermo Gomez -Pena is an incredible talent who in this, his fifth book, has put together his thoughts and recollections on his art through the nineties. I was intrigued with him after seeing some of his performances on video and wanted to know more about this modern day shamanistic being. The book does not dissapoint , reads fast and is full of the emotions evoked from his performances. His writing style is puntuated with sharp insights into the human psyche. There is poetry, interviews and some experiences that will make you laugh. GGP often wrties in Spanglish, creating colorful language, deep rooted in the barrios from points north and south of the border, easily shifting gears and writng as though he were Harvard educated. GGP shares his views on everything from Zapatismo to skinheads, Roc en Espanol to La Virgen de Guadalupe, cyber communities to barios and everything in between from an insightful Chicano perspective. Although it is not necessary to read the book chapter by chapter, if one does you'll find yourself flying through the experiences and recollections of GGP and partner Roberto Sifuentes and other collaborators. The characters that GGP creates for his art are memorable and often take offs on pop icon culture. In this book you'll meet such notable creations as "Border Brujo," "El Naftaaztec," "El Mexterminator," "Cyber-Vato" and "El Mad Mex"(from the film "Natural Born Matones"), traverse the globe from Helsinki to Vladivostok, Montana to Buenos Aires, Chiapas to Ciudad Juarez, Wales to Tijuana or from Fort Collings to back "home" in San Francisco or Mexico City. Experience the selections from audience confessions as they confront the beings created by GGP, the reactions and fears are amazing truths that only performance art can create. See GGP and partner Roberto Sifuentes amost die from hanging on crosses as they portray themselves as the good and bad thief from the crucification. They stayed on the cross until they were finally brought down when someone realized they could die from their performance. Vicariously experience the shock that they both create and recieve from their performances. GGP lives an existence that is bicultural and international in scope , a Mexican who is a Chicano in the US, he understands the nowhere land he stands firmly on, neither Mexican nor American through some people eyes, he confronts peoples fears making them examine their own prejudices. This is a brilliiat book that captures the essence of GGP and his performance troupe La Pocha Nosta. The book is printed on quality paper, full of magnifent black and white photographs and some very nice precolumbian illustrations. The photographs visually delight as they show the characters created , complete with props that result in stunning dramatic appeal. This book is a cultural tour de force that transcends borders, extending the readers imagination to challenge common perceptions and reevaluate the world of the Chicano as we know it. Highly recommended for those interested in one of the best performance artists of our times.

Guillermo Gomez-Pena has put together a book that should rock you in your socks if you've got any interest in how performance art can, and is being used shamanically (although "he" doesn't use this term) to manifest the hidden powers of the human unconsciousness, play with them, and perhaps bring balance.

In this collection of essays, interviews, and scripts, Gomez-Pena describes the preparation, processes, goals and results of his work, and muses on the whole shebang. While so much of the art world seems to be content with cerebral stagnation in the hallowed halls of the "academy" - Guillermo is out there on the pavement, living his art for the betterment of everyone. He's not just making himself look good in this work, he's honest enough to talk about his own fears and insecurities, and discuss the idea of artistic responsibility.

He does this all in a way that is down to earth while clearly displaying the depth of his intelligent approach to his work and the issues involved. He's funny and theoretically as sharp as a razor.

If you are at all interested in performance art, or, the American psyche as it relates to race, gender, economics and politics, get the book and enjoy. (I might add that this is a great price particularly considering the quality of the paper it's printed on.)