The Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester (MAG) is pleased to announce Charles Atlas: Here she is…v1, the new exhibition in its “Media Arts Watch” program, which is curated by world-renowned authority on the moving image, John G. Hanhardt.
In Here she is…v1, 2015, Atlas uses the medium of video to create a complex and provocative portrait of the renowned drag artist, Lady Bunny. An entertainer and comedienne, Lady Bunny has also become known for her outspoken political views on peace, militarism, climate change, gender equality, and LGBTQ rights. Atlas’ video integrates these two aspects of Lady Bunny’s life, intercutting a thoughtful monologue, in which she offers a rich and nuanced understanding of history and contemporary society, with parts of her racy stage routine. The video ends with an energetic lip-synched performance of her song, “You Were The One.”
“Charles Atlas is one of the most important video artists and cinematographers of our time,” said Hanhardt, who has worked with the artist since the 1980s. “He has an extraordinary talent for capturing performance, and this recent work is a preeminent example of his art form.”
Collaboration is central to the work of Charles Atlas (American, born 1949). Beginning his career in the world of dance, Atlas was the chief videographer for the pioneering choreographer Merce Cunningham in the 1970s and early 1980s. Together, they conceived a series of groundbreaking performances designed specifically for the video camera. Starting in the 1980s, Atlas expanded his circle of collaborators to include a wide range of artists, musicians, and performers, including post-punk band The Fall, London nightlife fixture Leigh Bowery, performance artist Marina Abramović, choreographer and filmmaker Yvonne Rainer, and singer and composer ANOHNI. Atlas is currently a highlight of this summer’s Venice Biennale, where he received an honorable mention. The Venice Biennale is the world’s most celebrated showcase for contemporary art, which takes place every two years and encompasses almost the entirety of the Italian tourist destination.
What is “Media Arts Watch?”
“Media Arts Watch” is a three-year initiative to introduce the art of the moving image into the curatorial program and permanent collection of MAG. Media art is art that explores the technologies and aesthetics of film and video as well as the emerging tools and practices of computers, virtual reality, the internet, software, and mobile devices.
About John G. Hanhardt
John G. Hanhardt is MAG’s consulting senior curator of media arts. Hanhardt began his museum career in the department of film and video at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and from there went to the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis to establish its film program and film study collection. From 1974 to 1996 he was curator and head of the film and video department at the Whitney Museum of American Art. He was the senior curator of film and media arts at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum from 1996 to 2006. He joined the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s staff in 2006, and was a consulting senior curator of film and media arts there until 2016.
As a native of Rochester and University of Rochester alum, Hanhardt was inspired by photography, film, and media arts during frequent visits to the George Eastman Museum and by the programming of the Visual Studies Workshop.