CHARLES ATLAS RETROSPECTIVE AND CLAYWOMAN

“New York City 1988. Raging homophobia. A killer on the loose. Disco dancing till dawn. Performers struggle to survive. Delilah seduces Samson in song. Gender illusionists go shopping. Samson and Delilah, 1991.”


PROGRAM
Son of Sam and Delilah, Video, 27min., 1991
Butcher’s Vogue, Video, 5min., 1990
Staten Island Sex Cult, Video, 10 min. (excerpt), 1999
Instant Fame! Donald, Video, 5min., 2005
Mrs. Peanut Visits New York, Video, 6min., 1992-99
The Draglinquents, Video, 7min., 1990
I Fell In Love With A Dead Boy (from Turning), Video, 4min., 2012
“New York City 1988. Raging homophobia. A killer on the loose. Disco dancing till dawn. Performers struggle to survive. Delilah seduces Samson in song. Gender illusionists go shopping."
Samson and Delilah, 1991.



Dirty Looks presents an evening of video work by Charles Atlas. With a career that spans 30-years, Atlas is one of the world’s most stalwart and vibrant videogrpahers of queer cultures and contemporary dance. This program will host a premiere of material from Turning, a feature-length collaboration between Atlas and Antony Hegarty, on the eve of the Museum of Modern Art commissioned Antony and the Johnsons' Swanlights performance at Radio City Music Hall. Turning will premiere in early 2012. Atlas will also be featured in the upcoming 2012 Whitney Biennial. With special performances from Leigh Bowery, Antony, and Carlos Morales (via Atlas' rarely screened porn film, Staten Island Sex Cult), the works in this program cover more than twenty years of portraiture and collaboration at the vanguard of queer artistic practice.



The event will also feature a complimentary publication featuring writings and original artwork.

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SEE MICHAEL CAVADIAS (AKA LILOIY OF THE VALLEY) AS CLAYWOMAN--A TRULY BIZARRE DRAG THEATER CREATION:
January 21, 22, 28 & 29 | 8 pm February 4 & 5 | 8 pm



Blending live performance and film, The Mystery Of Claywoman is the story of Claywoman, a 500-million-year-old enigma who, legend has it, can cure anyone of their deepest pain. She, along with her canine musical traveling companion "Craig," travels the universe searching for souls to heal and planets to save. Written and performed by Michael Cavadias. Directed and performed by Rob Roth.

The Mystery of Claywoman begins with a "found, unfinished, severely damaged and restored" documentary film that introduces the theories and mythology surrounding the Claywoman character. This mockumentary raises questions concerning our need for faith, ritual and validation through interviews with characters played by such performers as Alan Cumming, Edgar Oliver, Amy Poehler, Justin Bond, Debbie Harry, and Ruth Maleczech.

With irony and wit, this fictional film sets the stage for the live lecture. Commenting on our "need for answers," the lecture explores the scientific and historical evolution of humanity from the perspective of a 500,000,000-year-old extraterrestrial.

Special guests will introduce the piece every night including Jake Shears and Ana Matronic (Scissor Sisters), Michael Musto (Village Voice), Kembra Pfahler (The Voluptuous Horror Of Karen Black), and Rachelle Garniez (Citizens Band).



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