Comments on: Alison Ward http://www.losingyourself.com/669/ Sat, 08 May 2010 17:42:53 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Alison Ward http://www.losingyourself.com/669/comment-page-1/#comment-185 Alison Ward Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:34:12 +0000 http://www.losingyourself.com/?p=669#comment-185 The Beastly Beauty will be performed on the Coney Island boardwalk on July 11th, in front of the aquarium. The piece is a farcical battle between two characters embodying different elements of beauty and the grotesque. It combines elements of Baroque theater with slapstick comedy and WWE style wrestling, Each side is led by a character whose costume transforms continually to create a series of vignettes populated by knights and monsters. The movement through the market place takes the form of a rustic parade, with each side changing forms from monsters to old men, to proud queens and knights. When the two sides confront each other, they taunt each other with chants that merge cheerleading rallies with traditional battle cries and King Kong-style beating of the chest. They then engage in a staged comical battle with each side flirting and fighting, hitting and kissing, much like two lovers in a fierce fight. The choreography combines wrestling moves with traditional dance and burlesque to create a physicality that is simultaneously violent, sexual, and humorous. The battle will travel down the boardwalk, forcing the audience to chase after the performers. To see the show, viewers simply have to be in front of the Aquarium at 3 on July 11th. The Beastly Beauty will be performed on the Coney Island boardwalk on July 11th, in front of the aquarium. The piece is a farcical battle between two characters embodying different elements of beauty and the grotesque. It combines elements of Baroque theater with slapstick comedy and WWE style wrestling, Each side is led by a character whose costume transforms continually to create a series of vignettes populated by knights and monsters. The movement through the market place takes the form of a rustic parade, with each side changing forms from monsters to old men, to proud queens and knights. When the two sides confront each other, they taunt each other with chants that merge cheerleading rallies with traditional battle cries and King Kong-style beating of the chest. They then engage in a staged comical battle with each side flirting and fighting, hitting and kissing, much like two lovers in a fierce fight. The choreography combines wrestling moves with traditional dance and burlesque to create a physicality that is simultaneously violent, sexual, and humorous. The battle will travel down the boardwalk, forcing the audience to chase after the performers. To see the show, viewers simply have to be in front of the Aquarium at 3 on July 11th.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.losingyourself.com/669/comment-page-1/#comment-154 Anonymous Thu, 21 May 2009 11:46:18 +0000 http://www.losingyourself.com/?p=669#comment-154 Thanks, Alison! Would you write about the Coney Island concept and how it will unfold in July? And how would we find you? What time of day? Thanks, Alison!

Would you write about the Coney Island concept and how it will unfold in July? And how would we find you? What time of day?

]]> By: AlisonW http://www.losingyourself.com/669/comment-page-1/#comment-143 AlisonW Sat, 16 May 2009 05:34:39 +0000 http://www.losingyourself.com/?p=669#comment-143 It is posted, I just checked... If you type in Boxing For Mr. Wonderful it comes up...I'm not really sure how to get it to display, but it is in the media section... It is posted, I just checked… If you type in Boxing For Mr. Wonderful it comes up…I’m not really sure how to get it to display, but it is in the media section…

]]> By: Cathy http://www.losingyourself.com/669/comment-page-1/#comment-139 Cathy Fri, 15 May 2009 18:05:42 +0000 http://www.losingyourself.com/?p=669#comment-139 Dear Allison, I can't find the boxing video you posted. Could you post it again? Thanks. Cathy Dear Allison,

I can’t find the boxing video you posted. Could you post it again?

Thanks.

Cathy

]]> By: Alison Ward http://www.losingyourself.com/669/comment-page-1/#comment-110 Alison Ward Thu, 07 May 2009 17:53:06 +0000 http://www.losingyourself.com/?p=669#comment-110 Hi Cathy, I just posted a video of the boxing piece on this website. I worked with a fight choreographer to make this piece, and gave the fight a story line. One character had a more brutish character and the other a more delicate character. I wanted to include classic slapstick moments, ( the bottle, the board) and strange scenes between the " coaches" and the fighters.. (they powder the noses of their fighters and blow bubbles for them...) The Coney Island piece is being performed on July 11 on the boardwalk and beach of Coney Island. I plan on advertising the event in the art world, but chose Coney Island because it is a gathering place for all walks of life. We plan on incorporating passersby in the fight, and getting them to root for one side or another. Hi Cathy, I just posted a video of the boxing piece on this website. I worked with a fight choreographer to make this piece, and gave the fight a story line. One character had a more brutish character and the other a more delicate character. I wanted to include classic slapstick moments, ( the bottle, the board) and strange scenes between the ” coaches” and the fighters.. (they powder the noses of their fighters and blow bubbles for them…)
The Coney Island piece is being performed on July 11 on the boardwalk and beach of Coney Island. I plan on advertising the event in the art world, but chose Coney Island because it is a gathering place for all walks of life. We plan on incorporating passersby in the fight, and getting them to root for one side or another.

]]> By: Alison Ward http://www.losingyourself.com/669/comment-page-1/#comment-109 Alison Ward Thu, 07 May 2009 17:47:44 +0000 http://www.losingyourself.com/?p=669#comment-109 Hi Susan, I just found that Judy Chicago image online. How fabulous! I am drawn to motifs of aggression in my work for the same reasons that I find this image interesting. By adopting a traditionally male role, Chicago challenges both modes of expressed sexuality. I use fighting and boxing in my work for these reasons - to upend ideas of both masculine and feminine sexuality. I find aggression a very foreign concept, and I am interested in it for that reason as well - as an attempt to understand it. It becomes a metaphor for life in my work, for the daily struggle for understanding and confrontation with each moment in time. Hi Susan,
I just found that Judy Chicago image online. How fabulous! I am drawn to motifs of aggression in my work for the same reasons that I find this image interesting. By adopting a traditionally male role, Chicago challenges both modes of expressed sexuality. I use fighting and boxing in my work for these reasons – to upend ideas of both masculine and feminine sexuality. I find aggression a very foreign concept, and I am interested in it for that reason as well – as an attempt to understand it. It becomes a metaphor for life in my work, for the daily struggle for understanding and confrontation with each moment in time.

]]> By: Cathy B. http://www.losingyourself.com/669/comment-page-1/#comment-100 Cathy B. Wed, 06 May 2009 03:02:00 +0000 http://www.losingyourself.com/?p=669#comment-100 Dear Alison, The stills of your characters are vivid. Would you post a quicktime excerpt of the boxing piece? How do you script your struggle during your performances? Are you working on a stage in a theatre setting? I'd love to hear more about the Coney Island project. When will you perform? Will your viewer participants be passersby? Look forward to seeing and hearing more. Soon, Cathy Dear Alison,

The stills of your characters are vivid. Would you post a quicktime excerpt of the boxing piece?

How do you script your struggle during your performances? Are you working on a stage in a theatre setting?

I’d love to hear more about the Coney Island project. When will you perform? Will your viewer participants be passersby?

Look forward to seeing and hearing more.

Soon,

Cathy

]]> By: Susan Richmond http://www.losingyourself.com/669/comment-page-1/#comment-96 Susan Richmond Tue, 05 May 2009 21:44:48 +0000 http://www.losingyourself.com/?p=669#comment-96 Hi Alison, I'm interested in hearing more about your recourse to aggression. Several of the artists posting here have also identified aggression and/or violence as integral to their attempts to communicate feelings or voice desires. Also, have you seen Judy Chicago's advertisement from 1969, in which she's posed as a boxer in the ring? It was an announcement for her first show of Pasadena Lifesavers, which somewhat paradoxically are concerned with the visual expression of a female sensibility. best, Susan Hi Alison,
I’m interested in hearing more about your recourse to aggression. Several of the artists posting here have also identified aggression and/or violence as integral to their attempts to communicate feelings or voice desires.

Also, have you seen Judy Chicago’s advertisement from 1969, in which she’s posed as a boxer in the ring? It was an announcement for her first show of Pasadena Lifesavers, which somewhat paradoxically are concerned with the visual expression of a female sensibility.

best,
Susan

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