Cultural Event Response 2

Teatro Luna's S-E-X-Oh!

I was not sure what to expect from S-E-X-Oh!, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the tone was humorous and the atmosphere was informal. When the actresses came out and introduced the show in the beginning, they were very welcoming and created a relaxed atmosphere from the start. Before the show began, I had time to view the large images of each woman displayed on stage. The incorporation of photos, drawing, and text reminded me of the kind of work made by the Dada artists. In addition to the visual aspects of the performance, the skits, monologues, dialogues, and audio each helped to present the ideas about sex in a language that anyone can understand. For example, rather than having a woman tell the audience what her experience as a phone sex worker was like, we got to see for ourselves through her performance the good, bad, and ugly of her job.

I liked the use of audio when introducing each of the women individually. The way the speaker was not present- her voice came over a speaker- and the impersonal tone of her voice as she stated facts and generalizations about each woman made the women seem like they weren’t individuals. Similarly, the way that the women turned around so that we could see there front, profile, and back in the manner of a mug shot added to this idea that women can be thought of as objects, especially by men. My favorite part of the production was the scene where the women tell each other what makes them “hot.” This scene was very unique with the ideas they came up with and it was the funniest part of the show. “Trader Joe’s makes me hot” is a quote that will probably stick with me forever not only because it is hilarious, but because it stretches the boundaries of attraction. Sex is not all about the act itself- the women broadened the definition to things that we can recognize and access in everyday life.

Dada: Raoul Hausmann

Dada was an art movement involving several different techniques including photomontage, collage, assemblage, readymade, typography, sound poem, abstraction, chance, photography, and overpainting. Raoul Hausman was one of the influencial artists of the movement, contributing writings to antimilitaristic journals, organizing Dada events, and creating work using the above mentioned techniques.




Image on Top:
Der Kunstreporter (The Art Critic), 1919-1920, photomontage and collage with ink stamp and crayon on printed poster poem

Image on Bottom:
Ein burgerliches Pracisionsgehirn ruft eine Weltbewegung hervor (A Bourgeouis Precision Brain Incites World Movement) later known as Dada seigt (Dada Triumphs), 1920

The top piece exhibits usage of the Dada techniques of photomontage, collage, and typography. The background is made up of German characters from a printed poster poem, the middle ground is made up of cut out photos, probably obtained from media sources in Germany, and the foreground consists of a figure of a man (the art critic) that made up of photo and other added collage elements covering the man's eyes, mouth, forehead, and clothing. The textual background makes the images stand out while still forcing you to consider the text. The man is carrying a writing utensil, but from a distance may appear to be a weapon such as a spear instead. Hausmann, going along with the Dada perspective against the art establishment, is criticizing art critics in this bold representation.

The bottom peice is also an example of the usage of the photomontage and collage techniques. Each image stands out in this piece against the solid background of the walls and the floor. Hausmann created dimension in this piece by adding shadow behind each object or figure. This piece seems to include aspects of Hausmann's personal life as well as aspects of the Dada culture. For example, there are images of anatomy in this piece, both of the body and of the brain, connecting to Hausmann's past experience studying anatomy at a private art schol in Berlin. The piece also includes part of a world-map; the top part where the Dada culture was present. The background is made of watercolor on paper. While this composition is somewhat busy, it still allows the viewer to focus on each image individually because of their cut-out forms against the simple backgrounds.