Bradley McCallum & Jacqueline Tarry. Comprising a video montage of the couple as they shear each other's heads with a straight razor, Cut is at once a self-portrait of the artists and a troubling examination of issues of partnership, dominance, submission, intimacy and control.
Bradley McCallum & Jacqueline Tarry. New video and photography
Conner Contemporary Art is pleased to present Cut, a compelling new
collaboration by New York-based performative video artists Bradley McCallum
& Jacqueline Tarry. Comprising an evocative video montage of the couple as
they shear each other's heads with a straight razor, Cut is at once a
self-portrait of the artists and a troubling examination of issues of
partnership, dominance, submission, intimacy and control.
Slow, careful dissolves and an organic movement between scenes imbues Cut
with a sensuality that initially suggests a privileged glimpse into the
relationship between McCallum & Tarry, who are both artistic collaborators
and husband and wife. Yet the video's non-linear narrative and its
soundtrack-which is limited to the grating sound of the razor as it is sawed
back and forth through clumps of hair and the empty echo of the warehouse in
which the couple sits-offsets tender intimacy with a tangible psycho-sexual
tension. As individual scenes fade in and out, a complex and disturbing
array of emotions emerges: fear, tenderness, resignation, impatience, anger,
vulnerability, triumph, even disgust all come into play. The sensuality and
intimacy of the act becomes tinged with the threat of violence, which is
heightened by the implement the cutter wields. Although both artists submit
willingly to the cutting, the act clearly means something very different to
them as individuals.
Inspired in part by World War II-era news photographs of French
collaborators whose heads were shorn as part of their punishment, McCallum&
Tarry decided to cut each other's hair as a means of exploring the dynamics
of their collaboration with one another. Raw and unflinching, Cut reveals
the manifold emotions unleashed by their decision and in doing so, tracks
the equanimity of their partnership. Ultimately the shearing becomes a
potent metaphor for the dynamics that shape McCallum and Tarry's personal
and professional relationship, revealing the complexity and instability of
their collaboration. A brave act of self-revelation, Cut unselfconsciously
examines the constant shifts in the delicate balance of power between the
two.
Six still photographs by McCallum & Tarry and an illustrated catalog with a
short story by Brian Keith Jackson accompany the exhibition.
Known for powerful videos and photographs that explore issues of race,
gender and class, McCallum & Tarry have recently shown their work in the
Netherlands, China, Japan, Seattle, New York and Washington, DC. The artists
live and work in New York City and are represented by Conner Contemporary
Art.
There will be an opening night reception at Conner Contemporary Art on
Friday, June 23rd from 6-8pm. The artists will be in attendance.
The gallery is also pleased to announce the third in a series of artist's
talks: Discuss. Going beyond the typical artist's talk format, these events
will pair two gallery artists in conversation about the current gallery
exhibition and their modes of practice.
Saturday, June 24th @ 2pm, McCallum & Tarry and Mary Coble will discuss
social viewpoint in art. Attendance is limited: however, a podcast of each
conversation will be available for download at: http://www.itunes.com
Conner Contemporary Art
1730 Connecticut Avenue - Washington