Economic strife requires many things from people: reconsideration of consumption, conservation of resources, redefining necessity, solidarity amongst individuals, and, perhaps surprisingly, a flourishing of the arts. Inspired by the dance hall marathons of the depression era, Dark Horse/Fallen Shadows hearkens appropriately back to a time where financially desperate times called for desperate measures, and feats of endurance were symbolic of the tenacity and resilience of the human spirit. However there is a less admirable motive to such performances of perseverance; in times of scarcity, a sense of superiority is a valuable commodity, and dance hall marathons were as much aimed towards the patrons of suffering as the competitors themselves. The rare opportunity to pity the less fortunate was a highly sought after experience during the depression, and many found solace in supremacy.
Less sadistic than its inspiration, Gary Vlasic’s creation emulates the lassitude of such expenditure, while dramatizing the triumph of survival through exaggerated movement. Dancers oscillate between ecstasy and exhaustion, rare moments of liberation accentuate reeling movements of oppression, and even gentle reprieve can be found in the somber surrender of slow dance. An in situ performance that invited the viewer to transcend the voyeuristic role of the observer and participate in the performance, “Dark Horse/Fallen Shadows” achieved a rare merger of experiences.
Essentially we can all relate to the exhaustive nature of marathon performances. We are in fact living one. There is something to be said for a 48-hour performance in a 24-hour convenience store world; to make an effective point about stamina and fatigue, one has to go to extremes. Perhaps a somber reminder of our own limitations, Vlasic’s’ compelling creation is a wordless commentary about external pressure and internal response: a multi-media interpretation of the hardships that people continue to experience, and the dynamic human spirit that chooses dance over dedition.
UTAH’S ART MAGAZINE SINCE 2001, 15 Bytes is published by Artists of Utah, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Categories: Exhibition Reviews
