Human Instinct and New Animal Archetypes

Video - Bart Hess/Hunt for HighTech

I may be in danger of over indulging in the work of LucyandBart but after watching SHOWStudio's 'Make Up Your Mind' again (and again), I am struck by the sensuality of the dancers responding to the materiality of the hair. The weight, movement, warmth and I daresay the aroma of the wigs, have given the performers and performance a physical vehicle to respond to. The work of Bart Hess, particularly the recorded videos, is very much in the same vein. This time the stillness of the model allows the materials to almost have a life of their own. The sitter is only the host for these new surfaces. Listening to the creak and rustle of the materials , I sense that these exteriors are not there to offer the comfort, warmth or protection usually provided by secondary surfaces to the skin.