Learning to Talk

This video is related to Seven Years of Living Art (a seven-year performance of personal endurance Montano began in December of 1984) and adopts the Zen Chakra system of seven centers as a structuring device. The adoption of the Chakra system arises from Montano’s commitment to the study of Eastern culture and religion. Assuming seven different personae corresponding to the Chakra system—French woman (sexuality), nun (security), jazz singer (courage), country and western songwriter (love), neurosurgeon (will), Russian choreographer (intuition), karate black belt (bliss)—Montano questions the concept of wisdom in the Western world. Coupling serious meditation with country and western music, Montano shows how to internalize wisdom while surviving in a culture of comical stereotypes.