The satirical British magazine Private Eye runs a regular column called Pseuds Corner, containing reader submitted quotes of journalists being particularly pretentious or pompous. It’s normally dominated by art critics, who typically suffer from the biggest gap between their perception of the world (and themselves) and how the rest of us experience it. I couldn’t help thinking that this recent review of a modern dance piece in the Guardian would make a good submission to the column.
In Diaghilev on the Beach, former Boston Ballet dancer Joseph Mercier presents a reworking of Nijinsky’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, set to Debussy’s score. Mercier locates the piece at a balmy poolside, where two cocktail-sipping, harem-panted Nefertitis (Sarah Cattrall and Natalie Clarke) indulge their slave (Mercier), who is costumed in golden briefs and a jewelled dog collar. As Clarke languidly oils her breasts, Cattrall leads Mercier around, occasionally permitting him to lick her feet, and alternately stroking and slapping him. Nijinsky’s 1912 work ends with the faun shuddering in orgasm over a scarf stolen from a nymph, and a century later Mercier references the critical reaction (“filthy and bestial”, according to Le Figaro) by having Cattrall lubricate a butt plug attached to a jewelled animal tail, and insert it in her slave’s proffered rectum. It’s a startling moment, and even among the too-cool-for-school Chisenhale crowd occasions a quiet intake of breath. But the piece works. It perfectly reproduces the timeless languor of the original, it matches it in provocation, and in Mercier’s assumption of the most abject characteristics of the Faun and the Golden Slave from Schéhérazade (another Diaghilev sex-ballet), pitches reverberant questions about the dominant-submissive relationship of performer and audience.
I’m normally all for exploring questions about dominant-submissive relationships. And some languid breast oiling combined with a little foot worship, slapping and anal play sounds like a pretty good way to spend a Tuesday night. I may even add it to my ‘ideas for sessions’ list. But the idea of sitting in an audience and watching a modern dance interpretation of it? That sounds like the bad kind of humiliation and psychological torture.
Admittedly this image is more a garden scene than a balmy poolside, but there is a collar, leash and tail butt plug involved. It’s an image I like for the stillness and thoughtfulness of it. They’re not heavily involved or interacting. Just sitting for a private moment with their thoughts.
I’ve seen work by this artist before, but I can’t recall his or her name. As usual, I’m sure one of my highly knowledgeable readers will know the answer, so please leave a comment if you can help me attribute it.