I went and saw Catherine Cabeen and Company recently for their show titled “Into the Void.” I can never get enough of watching Catherine Cabeen simply move. But more intriguing to me than the way that she moves is the way that she creates her work. My first experience in a BFA performance at Cornish was in Catherine’s senior project, and it was the first time that I had ever seen social issues integrated into movement. Back then, it was a short dance meant to express the difficulty of establishing a personal identity in the presence of the severe racism that permeates American society. In the latest show, it was the search for self acceptance in terms of sexual orientation and gender identity in the face of a society that intentional interferes with growth in any direction other than being heterosexual and conforming to traditional gender roles. What always astounds me is how clearly she makes her point, her work is always intentional and clear. Further, she uses everything in the art community at her disposal to enhance her idea.
The lighting, the costumes, the choice of dancers, and the music all reinforced and helped to create a clear delivery of her overall message. The static-sound scape type of music in the very beginning of the piece combined with the small square of light surrounding Catherine’s male character immediately created a sense of the “void” from the title. Without the music the effect would not have been the same. The same can be said about the entire rest of the program, each climactic section of movement was met with climactic music, and each quiet movement with support quiet or simplistic audio. The specific choices that Catherine makes with the audio in her piece really enhance her intention. To my knowledge she actually has much of her audio created specifically for the purpose of individual pieces. What a great way not only to make your point with your art work, but to include other collaborators in the art community.
Posted on 5 May 2011 by jolenieweeniebeanie
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