Dominic Piacentini
A & E Editor
Identity will be “disidentified” when two seniors, Laura Haldane and Kenneth Perry Jr., collaborate to deconstruct social norms and expectations using art, dance, physics and theater.
Haldane, a Studio Art and Physics double major, will present her I.S. gallery April 21-26 in Ebert Art Center. Titled “Disidentifying Performance of Freedom: Fight to Exist,” Haldane’s show focuses on the idea of actively removing the self from social norms and expectations. She calls this process “disidentification.” The exhibition includes photographs taken of models and dancers performing in vogue. Vogue is a style of dance characterized by the graceful formation symmetry and precise lines, made famous by Madonna’s song and music video “Vogue.”
She defines the vogue style as “a culture of its own. It’s an expression of the body in its most fluid form. It’s a dancing freedom.” Vogue removes the body from the culture in which the dancer finds him or herself, disidentifying the person. “Vogueing” is the act of trying to be visible by portraying characteristics of elite culture. It is this act of deconstruction and “vogueing” that she captures in her photographs of models and dancers. The ideas of visibility and invisibility are central to Haldane’s gallery.
Haldane incorporates her expertise in physics by creating holograms that further reflect the idea of “disidentification.”
Haldane’s holograms, which create a “pseudodimension of this world,” are created when a laser is pointed at the center of glass plates. When the laser shines on the glass plates, images of Barbie dolls become visible inside of the glass. She can then manipulate the image by moving the glass. The reality and exactness of the physics in her gallery contrasts with the content of the project.
“I wanted to utilize the fictitious forms of what people really look like,” Haldane explains, referring to the mass produced embodiments of beauty expectations characteristic of Barbie dolls. The image of the dolls can only be seen when the laser shines on the glass plates, switching between visible and invisible with the light.
Haldane joins her gallery exhibition with a live performance by Perry Jr. Perry will perform in the MacKenzie Art gallery in Ebert Art Center Thursday April 25 at 7 p.m. Perry’s performance stems from his Independent Study project. He spotlights different minorities on campus using his own original monologue. Perry adapted his text from the themes and ideas of interviews he had with students in the Wooster population. He focuses on the concept of identity performed.
“We choose to act in a certain way,” Perry explains. Like in Haldane’s gallery, Perry portrays the concept of “disidentifying” the self, capturing the malleability of identity. Perry’s performance explores how individuals can change and choose self-identity. Haldane and Perry will interact with this concept of identity in all facets.
“Identity is turned off, skewed, embraced and celebrated,” said Haldane. Both seniors believe that this collaboration is a good example of how different departments come together. In their shows, different ideas join together and share same core concept of identity and “disidentification.”
“It was something neither of us expected,” said Haldane, considering the incorporation of Perry’s live performance piece. “It was a blessing.” The show will “combine theater with art, philosophy, science and social justice that will move and change,” Haldane concludes.
Doors will open for the show April 25 at 6:30 p.m. Both Haldane and Perry self-identify themselves as button-pushers and encourage the greater Wooster community to come be challenged by the “rawness” of the identities they have created and performed.