Observe as they stutter, step, and stumble blindly out of bed, down the stairs and out the front door on to a busy street. They narrowly dodge impending danger without effort or awareness. Cars race by, they are turned around in a revolving door, and after the languid adventure they are somehow returned to bed unharmed. It's a certain attribute the cartoon character possesses: to be able to stumble through life with nary a care, prodigiously protected and provided for by the invisible hand of good fortune. This ability is called Divine Nonchalance.
The phrase has its origins in modern Tarot: it appears on the card of The Fool. It signifies a certain blessed carelessness, a freedom from inhibition that sparks and inspires creativity. Some decades ago our local clique adopted the phrase to describe certain peoples who possessed “the gift". If you possess it, as visionary artists often do, than you too may be one of the Divine Nonchalants.
BUT BEWARE: like any other gift, it comes with a price. The special power of Nonchalance is not found on the card of the King, or of the Sun... it is found on the card of The Fool. Clowns, wise guys, drunks and musicians are the salty sort of down-trodden folk who usually possess this super power in spades. And of course; cartoon characters. This special breed of people all share the wonderful attribute. It's a shame they'll never quite know what to do with it. By definition the Nonchalant is wonderfully scattered, and lacking in all direction. The ride is fantastic, but it only leads back to where we began.
The participatory arts of Nonchalance is situated at the intersection of three core elements; Narrative, Genuine Space, and Play. When these elements intersect, a warp zone is revealed. This place of departure is where transformation becomes possible.
This site is a small looking glass into the creative world of Nonchalance, at times described as an “arts collective”, “a situational design agency”, or an “immersive entertainment company”. Really though it is a castle built in the sky, one whose foundation never actually existed. Each project was conceived, directed and produced by Oakland artist Jeff Hull, with the support and chagrin of a revolving cast of creators, whose names have been withheld to protect the innocent.