HowlRound: The results of 2016’s presidential race were, for many, traumatic, and as with any trauma instilled a pervasive sense of helplessness and bewilderment. Despite our participation in a democratic system, and faith that our values would prevail, November 8, 2016, saw not only a failure of these efforts but an outright reversal of fortune. Worse, the overt racism, xenophobia, and misogyny that followed left us questioning the nature of our social reality; how, in a seemingly progressive age, could these attitudes persist? Though the initial shock has subsided, it’s clear significant change has occurred, and in its aftermath we must now confront our role in the events which transpired, face the limits of our reach, and take responsibility for what we build moving forward. The 2017 New York City revival of Siobhan O’Loughlin’s immersive solo show Broken Bone Bathtub holds special relevance in this context, its unique premise and interactive framework as empowering as it is cathartic.
1 comment:
I really enjoyed this article because it highlighted something everyone wanted to do after the election, work that commented on what had occurred. After the election, I felt very inspired to begin doing work based off of what happened and I chose to attend a protest march with a group of people the day after. I am very inspired by the work that this women is doing and I think more people should go out of their comfort zones and produce work like this. This show is so amazing and effective because of how vulnerable she makes herself in a group of people she has never met before. Part of creating powerful art is opening yourself and letting vulnerability not hold you back because it opens up so many different possibilities. These conversations that we are having are already difficult enough, by having them naked it creates an even more open environment for anything to happen. I think artists need to become more open to creating work that is out of their comfort zones, because of the effect it can have on those around them.
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