antlers

Within the past few weeks, I have been possessed by an inexplicable desire to sprout and sport antlers. Not the pointy and threatening kind, but rather the mossy, majestic, well-branched candelabraic sort. Aside from the need to pass through doorways sideways, and some bedding ajustments, I do not think antlers burdensome. They would encourage regal posture, and, when itchy, could be, with a slight tilt, brought down to within C's reach for the scratching.

With these in mind, I was delighted to see one particular performance piece at the Exit Art program on March 24th. As we approached, David read from the program."C. Ryder Cooley performs with her collaborator, a disembodied deer who once hung as a trophy on a hunters wall. Together they will construct a third body, a post-gender antlered being who hovers chimerically in a space betwixt forest and civilization."



I was not the only person in the crowd who was reminded of a certain painting by Jean-Honore Fragonard.



This will give you a feel for the actual performance. It was successfully eerie. Low electrical undercurrents of sex and violence held our attention. Ms. Cooley's dreamy demeanor seemed deceptive or maybe naive. The feathers affixed to the bottom of her shoes were discussed much. What could they mean? Did they relate to the pile of feathers under the swing? Those seemed to be the remnant of some carnage. Did they imply wings of escape? In any case, this was one of the better tableaux.