Till I Collapse | A Conversation with Mark Fitzsimmons

Odessa Presents | Info@odessadenver.com

10.4.18

(Denver, CO)

Mark Fitzsimmons is an artist and a veteran. “A blue moon” in what he describes as a profoundly mischaracterized and fragmented veteran community. As a devout patriot and a proud liberal, he challenges viewers to reassess their political assumptions and question the power of their symbols.

"A lot of [people] will still do the ‘stiff-upper-lip’ and do this hyper-masculine stoicism that's not only damaging themselves, it’s damaging the community around them…. and they will drive themselves in the ground before they get help. So when it comes to the veterans committing suicide it’s back to that still the ‘stiff-upper-lip’ mentality even though they have hit this incredible moment of weakness and made a profoundly regrettable decision. And It’s because of this idea that they are either gonna walk the 22 miles or collapse… “

On June 26th, 2018 Mark performed Illicit Patriotism at Denver Civic Center Park, until he collapsed at the Colorado State Capital and was rushed to the hospital for heat stroke and kidney failure. Join us as we visit Mark in the studio to re-experience his charged and weighted performance in his own words.

*Performance images provided by Zach Bares-Fagg and Menne Photo.