Lecture Entry: Alix Perelstein 1/28

Before I begin my entry on Alix Perelstein, I feel the need to write that our artist lecture series has brought in some incredible talents before such as Larry Sultan, Anna Gaskell, and Candice Breitz. It really is a privilege to attend this series when the artists are of such high quality and can articulate the concepts of their work clearly. As enriching as those experiences have been, it is also beneficial to attend lectures from those not up to the aforementioned artists' caliber. I find that in such cases, I am able to hone my critical thinking skills and allow myself to truly question the merits of their work.

Alix Perelstein, a New York based video artist with a background in sculpture and choreography, visited VCU this week and left many wondering how she has garnered the accolades and gallery openings that she listed during her lecture.During the course of the lecture, Perelstein seemed to delight in reeling off intentionally obscure artists and manifestos. She tried to work against the audience, even laughing when someone in attendance asked who she was making these videos for. Perelstein played 6 video pieces for us, and while the filming techniques became increasingly intricate and sophisticated, the works became more and more obfuscating and hollow. One of her earlier works, 2002's "Episode", was intended to showcase roles within the family unit and acting-out as a mode of exhibiting identity, yet was an unintelligible jumble of cartoon sound effects, over the top acting and shoddy direction. The camera careened in and out as actors made bizarre faces and wandered about to the sound effects of a Hanna-Barbara t.v. special. In a more recent work, entitled, "After the Fall" her core acting troupe paraded around a black studio while four cameras filmed their actions simultaneously. Spiraling cameras and caterwauling guitars bewildered the audience as her performers strutted around, just trying to keep a straight face. Their motions did not seem to hold any importance, and many of the actors appeared as confused as the viewers.

Perhaps my biggest issue with Wednesday's lecture, is just how self-serious the artist was. She spoke about her videos as if only a select, extremely educated elite could grasp their biting commentary; she expressed no sense of self-deprecation or warmth. As I mentioned before, this experience did have its upside though, as I did my damnedest to pay close attention and look for the value in her video work. I feel this lecture did help sharpen my critical eye and teach me how not to act when presenting my own work.