In Performing Self at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, seven multidisciplinary artists expand the concept of performance art with works that are extremely personal, even courageous.
Performing Self
January 25 – April 28, 2024
Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art
Performing Self addresses a dichotomy we humans contend with every day: when are we performing for others, and when are we truly ourselves? Furthermore, does it matter that the difference often gets blurred? Seven artists gamely tackle those questions through installations, videos, photographs, and paintings that are at times poignant, at other times humorous.
Four of the artists truly shine in presenting works obviously derived from performance yet brimming with verisimilitude. Their works are clustered on the first floor, with the most compelling being Laura Lee Shill‘s installations featuring plaster hands, feet, and legs cast from her own body, along with related props. The minute we notice that her section of the gallery is set off by stage curtains, we are gently reminded that life’s a stage and we are merely its players.
One hauntingly beautiful piece is the photograph Still Available for Parties (2023), depicting a clown (Shill) face down in the water. It blends absurdity and poignancy to telegraph feelings of defeat and sadness. Next to the photo is the clown costume itself, forlornly hanging on the wall.
Across the way are three sets of portraits, each depicting artist Sherry Wiggins performing various poses that hearken back to historical female figures. At first comical, the portraits soon take on a deeper resonance when we realize how bravely the sixty-something Wiggins embraces her transformation.
Using costumes, makeup, and settings with aplomb—think heavy eyeliner, bosoms, and gold lamé—Wiggins turns into Cleopatra, Isis, and similar strong women. Her artistic partner, Luís Filipe Branco, heightens the theatricality, shooting glossy, impressively composed images. By throwing modesty aside, though, Wiggins and Branco re-center the beauty of aging women’s bodies.
Also bordering on humor yet commenting on real-life complexities are the pieces by Tobias Fike, notably his six-minute video, Portrait of a Simple Man (2023), which plays on the idea of paper dolls—a fitting conceit given Fike’s self-defined role as a suburban dad to two daughters. Viewers can see Fike’s hands in the video, hurriedly changing outfits and props to denote his many personal and professional roles. In one mildly self-deprecating shot he’s wearing a “Best. Dad. Ever.” T-shirt.
Also noteworthy are the works by Eriko Tsogo on the museum’s cozy top floor. Tsogo is a prime example of an artist communicating through an alter ego, in this case, the “Bounce Back Qween,” referencing their Asian American identity and challenging the associated stereotypes through found objects, music videos, site-specific performances, and even bottles of fake BBQ sauce with their image on the label.
Rounding out the exhibition is Noa Fodrie, whose collage-like acrylics suggest a female body in movement and serve as Fodrie’s investigation of her biracial identity. Meanwhile, Louis Trujillo is represented with photos, drawings, and tableaux of props and costumes that speak volumes about his life as a drag artist, performing as Sissy Lou Lou.
A well-conceived show that goes deep when it comes to self-identity, Performing Self spotlights artists who go out on a limb, who share their innermost fears and joys, and do so with admirable courage.
