29Gitcher art on~
L’Etoile de mer (1928), dir. by Man Ray
Starring Kiki de Montparnasse
Forthcoming Performance Review
I saw an amazing show this past weekend. Chicagoans - if you’re into multi-media cutting-edge dance performances, you need to see This is a DAMAGE MANUAL at Theater Wit (by Belmont and Sheffield).
A quick synopsis: Produced and performed by Atalee Judy and the BONEdanse danseurs, This is a DAMAGE MANUAL is a potent mix of anxiety, punk rock, prescriptive ’50s psychology mumbo-jumbo and bad dreams, exploring the cyclical process of what it is to be “damaged” - and alive in spite of (or because of) it.
How I ended up seeing this show is kind of an interesting story. A couple years ago, I PA’d an indie here in Chicago (same PA gig I wrote about in my previous advice post). I spent most of those 3 days trying not to get in the way of the steadicam operator, Carl. Now, a couple years later, I reunite with him out of nowhere at my grrl Chrissy’s birthday party at the MusicBox, seeing a midnight showing of Wayne’s World (Chicago really is a tight-knit town for creatives). I also met his girlfriend/creative partner, Chrissy’s close friend Atalee. Of course I knew about Atalee, due to her being an innovative and intense local dancemaker/choreographer, so it was really cool to meet her. She invited me to see her dance show, This is a DAMAGE MANUAL, and Chrissy got me comped for opening night because I was so excited to go. Opening night was this past Friday and I can say (with great self-awareness) that I made a fool of myself begging Carl to use me for whatever he might need in future BONEdanse productions - second camera, camera assistant, carrying his equipment… anything.
And then I went to my boyfriend’s apartment and cried. I was so overwhelmed and moved by the show that I fell into a self-analytical spiral of how I call myself an “artist” and “filmmaker” but don’t really live up to it at all. And This is a DAMAGE MANUAL not only forced me to confront my own lack of productivity - I also realized a lot about myself from the themes of the show: anxiety, identity, stagnancy, being overwhelmed, feeling strapped down, and reeling from constantly stimuli that only do harm.
So I’m gonna write a review on it. I won’t be able to write anything else, anyway.
What have you seen or heard recently - be it movie, performance, concert, album, exhibit, etc. - that deeply moved you? What feelings came with it? Did it motivate you to do something, or did it aid in self-reflection?
Jabberwocky (1971), dir. by Jan Svankmajer
I love the tangibility of my discomfort every time I watch something by Svankmajer. Of course, some things I’ll never be able to revisit because the discomfort’s too great (Little Otik, moments in Virile Games), but I definitely get a few of his films; this is one. The soundtrack makes me very happy.
SUNS is going into the studio next week and every extra dollar will help them make their first full-length, When We Were Us, even more amazing. If you’ve got some cash to spare, stop by their Kickstarter and trade that scratch in for an advanced digi-download, or even vinyl, posters, shirts and more!
If you need convincing, give them a listen here: sunsband.com/media.html
Donors who hit up the $100 reward will see me (and the band, I guess~) at the record release show!
Acéra or the Witches’ Dance/Le bal des sorcières (1972), dir. by Jean Painlevé and Geneviève Hamon
With music by Pierre Jansen
Video art: Pipilotti Rist’s I’m A Victim Of This Song/Ich bin ein Opfer dieses Liedes, 1995
I saw this as an installation a few years ago at the MuHKA in Antwerp, but with a completely different - and to be honest, much more beautiful - video. I haven’t been able to find the video since, though; the closest I’ve found online are clips from the “sip/drink my ocean” installation, but none of them are exactly it.
Either way, it was dreamy and mesmerizing and I probably sat there for an hour watching it loop across three walls. Totally defined my stay in Belgium, and remained a poignant moment in my last year as a teenager.
