Medusa (2018) Flashcards
What are the themes and starting points explored within medusa?
-observing life around us= society, culture, history, and her own personal story
-sociopolitical climates= how the myth was used throughout history
-different connotations of the Medusa myth= the rape by poisedon
-the political ‘me too’ era
-2016 election of Donal Trump= using the Medusa image to silence women
What is the subject matter of Medusa?
-a reflection on the powerful feminine symbol of the mortal gorgon, punished by Athena with a hideous appearance and loathsome snakes for hair for having been raped in Athena’s temple by Poseidon, and who later slain by Perseus. There are elements of the take in the work, but it is also used to reflect on contemporary life, environmental pollution, and sexual harassment and other issues surrounding womanhood in society
Describe and interpret a movement which shows the use of the plastic sheet as a part of the physical setting
-the plastic is spread across the stage with the dancers underneath it moving their arms and legs to make the plastic ripple above them. This creates the imagery of marine life suffering in the sea due to pollution and in the great Pacific garbage patch. There is one girl stood above the plastic and she has plastic around her waist like a skirt and then a small yellow top with a neckpiece that looks like snakes. She performs gestural movements such as sweeping the arms from side to side, circling them above her head and around her wrists. This could show how women have the right to express themselves and dress however they want to. The arm gestures are foreshadowing the snakes she becomes. Over all could show the female gender group suffocating in society, and how often women are objectified.
Describe and interpret the movement of the rape by Poseidon in the temple of Athena
-she is in a white night dress to show her purity and innocence that has been taken away. The male and female dancers surrounding her are clawing and biting her whilst pulling her clothes around. To show the punishment they all have their hands over her face wriggling their fingers trying to suffocate her. They open up around her head and she is gasping for air trying to breathe. Shows how vardimon is able to explore deep and sensitive topics in a respectful way. Imagery of the snakes around her head.
Describe and interpret the movement of Medusa herself
-she has her hair split into segments being held by the other all female dancers around her wearing black and she does repeated full plies in first position whilst they ripple her hair up and down. Gestural sequence reaches arms out in semi circle around her head mimicking the snakes Athena gave her. This movement shows how in society and in history females brought/bring other females down, another key issue in society that has been explored in a respectful way
Describe and interpret the movement of the bin head and what this represents
-“climate change, or global warming, or whatever strange nickname they give it these days to win your votes. This is the biggest hoax of the western world” he says this while pacing around the stage with rubbish spilling out of the mouth of the bin and onto the stage. He’s leaving a trail of his trash talking, and the music is quite brassy creating a comedic feel like nothing he is saying is believable. Red tie clearly shows this is meant to be Donald trump Shows use of text
Describe and interpret the movement from the shadow section
-“now wherever I wonder, she will follow, just slightly behind, slightly slower, slightly lower” as he says this the man circles his leg across the body then steps and turns twice then puts his hands palm down bending his knees like he’s suppressing the women below him who’s in all black and is reflecting the man’s movement representative of his shadow. He smiles and makes a little noise which makes the audience laugh at what he’s saying, he appears likeable when in actual fact what he’s saying is very wrong, and he is putting down the whole female gender saying they’re not as good as men in society, and they never will be.
