Tableau Vivant...a bit more

(This is more about the piece from my this morning's entry.)

Okay, so... a “Tableau Vivant” is a living picture: an artistic picture or series of pictures made with live people, as opposed to being painted or sculpted or photographed; often tableaux vivants (that’s the plural) are recreations of pre-existing works of art.

Several examples (obviously, pictures of paintings & pictures of tableaux vivants based on them):

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (Georges Seurat)

The Last Supper (Leonardo da Vinci)

Olympia (Édouard Manet)

Girl with a Pearl Earring (Johannes Vermeer)

Vieja Friendo Huevos (Diego Velázquez)

The (too soon cancelled) TV show Arrested Development had an episode featuring an annual “Living Classics” pageant, in which families or groups would do tableux vivants.

The Creation of Adam (detail from The Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo)

Mrs Henderson Presents is a film about a theatre which did tableaux vivants.

The DeliriumConstructions is an ongoing photographic project by artist Sarah Small in which she explores emotional responses of bringing together unexpected people.

One example:

Pearl Ring (Sarah Small)

Tableau Vivant of the Delirium Constructions is a series of pieces that involve live musical performers/models/movers, some clothed and some nude. It’s a sort of extension of Sarah Small's photographic work intended to “celebrate humanity by representing a visual and sonic encyclopedia of the human condition.” (quote from http://www.livingpictureprojects.com/)

I think watching it on video (you can find a link in this morning’s entry) creates a distance from the piece which I assume wouldn’t be there if experienced live. I think it would be a really interesting thing to experience, as either a participant or an observer. Although, I suspect from what I’ve seen in the videos, I would desire more interaction and specificity from the performers.

I found myself wanting to know more about the various couples, groups, even individuals. What were their relationships? Why are some clothed and some not? What’s going on with this or that individual who seems very different from the others in some way or another?

I also think it would be really neat to put together some sort of performance not unlike hers, here where I live. I can’t imagine how I would find enough people who’d be willing to do it. Or a venue that didn’t cost a bunch o’ money to rent. Anyone?

Purrrlesque and the Squidling Bros

A friend, knowing I like taking off my clothes, invited me to a burlesque show last night. Actually, it was sort of a double show with two groups: Purrrlesque—a local burlesque group,

check 'em out herrre

and the Squidling Brothers—a “side show” troupe from Philadelphia.

http://squidlingbros.com/

It wasn’t far from my apartment, and I wasn’t too busy, so I went.

(hand stamp)

It was the first burlesque show I’ve attended. It was also the first whatever you wanna call the Squiddling bros—a contemporary dark, tattooed, side show?—that I’ve attended. I’ve seen video of both before, but never live.

It was partly what I expected and partly not. I could put on my critic hat and say this could be more something, and that could be more something else. But I won’t. I’ll just say that I had a great time. I drank a bit, spent too much money, and went “Whoo!” a whole lot. It was so much fun.

Here are some pictures. There was a guy from a local paper and some other guy taking pics. They both had real cameras, and, I’m sure, come out with much better quality pictures.  Or, check out the groups websites.

PURRLESQUE:

They had some actual singing (by the woman on the left),
not just lip synching.

Yeah, that’s Osama.

And there was the requisite little girl skipping. 

It was part of a “Anything you can do” duet. 

(Yay for musical theatre!)

And here’s the ensemble.
Yes, that's a dude on the left.
Boylesque?

THE SQUIDLING BROS:

Nothing like some atmospheric accordion playing and strange singing to set the mood.

Your MC, clothed, and half-clothed.

...and swallowing a sword.

Yes, a dude on a bed of nails and with a cinder block on his chest.

You can’t tell very well, but they’ve got a long tube 

running up through their noses and out their mouths.

Nice, huh?

Betty Bloomerz: she’s one of the nose-tubers. 

Here she’s eating fire. She is also a sword swallower.

The finale: the MC, naked, 

about to have his scrotum stapled 

by a member of the audience. 

Yeah. Stapled scrotum.
It could’ve been me doing the stapling. What an honor, but I declined. Despite the fact that he’s probably done that tons of times before, I haven’t. And I’m just not that interested in hurting someone on purpose.

I will say this (I guess it’s somewhat of a critique): 

Betty Bloomerz was amazingly awesome and my favorite by far. Her onstage character was sad and funny and strange and quirky and captivating and beautiful. I think I’m in love.

Or maybe I just need a girlfriend.

Here’s a picture from their website:

(I hope they don’t mind too much that I stole it. 

It’s a much better pic than my sad camera phone could do.)

I took more side show pics than burlesque pics, but they a rule: once the tops come off, no pictures. And I didn’t want to accidently break a rule, so, I didn’t take so many pics of the ladies.

I suppose if I go to another burlesque show, I may do more of a critique. 

bastards

Why is this acceptable...

...but not this?

And why is this...

or this (post ancient Greece/Rome)...

...much more common than this?

...and this?

Why is this sort of shocking or maybe even disturbing?

Okay, I know the reason, and you probably do too. White European males—those bastards—and their double standards concerning nudity (and sex).

We should all have a healthy sense of shame...but look at these “innocent natives” or “artistic nude depictions”.

Aren’t they the same guys who wanna keep people from having affordable health care and stop gay marriage?

...bastards.

Interesting article: Nat'l Geo nude discrimination