May Arts Review Roundup: An Evening at The Mount Without & Street Art Without Borders
MAYFEST PRESENTS: COMMUNION
Words and images by Vonalina Cake
An evening at one of Bristol’s newest venues, The Mount Without, is something to look forward to. The space in this big old church is fantastic and its versatility really shone for this event as it hosted a staged performance by Tom Marshman and a broader floor space for the dance pieces from Cree Barnett Williams and Yos Clark. The Crypt provided drinks and DJ’s Mister Morgan and Jim Carna gave us some pop joy; the perfect end to a magical night.
A Shining Intimacy by Tom Marshman
Image by @vonalina_cake
Tom’s new show explores the bonds between friends; the one between Kenneth Williams and Maggie Smith and the one he shared with his dear friend, the late artist Clare Thornton. He finds parallels and similarities in the way they adored one another so completely. As he tells us, one reporter called it “a shining intimacy” and it suits very well the closeness these two very private public figures shared.
The stage is aglow with amber lighting as Tom begins by ripping pages from a book with one arm painted red and one blue in remembrance of a show he and Clare did. He tells us about it and other escapades. On the gauze screen behind him are apparitions of Tom as Maggie and Kenneth sharing moments from their lives with us.
Image by @vonalina_cake
Kenneth and Maggie’s friendship is known about but Tom dug deep in the archives to find information. He uses anecdotes, pieces from scripts, poems and songs and their own words into his performance. Interwoven through this are memories of Clare and the shows he did with her as well as their own ‘shining intimacy” over the course of their friendship.
It was a very personal and moving show. Many people in the audience also knew Clare and you could feel that emotion and love being held. Tom gave us a playful and moving account of these beautiful friendships.
You may be able to catch it, tour dates here
Image by @vonalina_cake
A figure in flashing light, she is familiar to us. Alessia Ruffolo starts the performance, joined after a few minutes by Cree. They move jaggedly on tip toes in their old fashioned Barbie Doll costumes. Music comes in and words are added. The dance is a playful look at the expectations of women and the male gaze. At one point they struggle with their stiff glued together hands to put on bright white sunglasses. The audience is fully in on the joke. While it pokes fun, it also observes the more serious side of womanhood.
Find out more about Cree here
Image by @vonalina_cake
A strange shrouded shape, praying to a god. Bit by bit the shackles of religion are thrown away in favour of spike heeled boots and dance attire. Soon the freedom afforded by this costume has the dancer in raptures of another kind. But soon returns to the restricted and rigid modest coverings to pray again. A very moving performance exploring the limits a religious upbringing can put on a gay man. Yos seems to be able to move every muscle individually giving a visceral and powerful display of skill and beauty.
Find out more about Yos here
Words and Images by Von Cake
Image by @vonalina_cake
Duncan is an artist whose work most Bristolians will have seen, they pop up about the place and especially in a little scruffy corner at the end of Castle Park by the disused old Bank Of England. There, wrapped around a tree, is an ever-changing display of foam shapes. Mermaid, banana, phoenix, and most recently two hands clasped together in unity in blue and yellow to show solidarity with Ukraine. The bright foamy artwork has meaning and substance and when you scratch a little deeper you will find an artist dealing with serious issues in playful ways.
On his website you can see work addressing borders and the people they affect. Often engaging with members of the public and using mirrors to reflect light, Duncan is able to convey a sense of connection across borders and seas to unite people. The work is powerful in its simplicity and beautiful in its complex themes.
For a long time I didn’t really make the connection between the artist and the strange bright tubes of yellow that adorned lamp posts and trees. It would pop up around the place and I’d delight in its cheerfulness. But one day I saw him working on the tree near Bristol Bridge and engaged in conversation and quickly realised that his range was much, much bigger than the street art I’d become accustomed to seeing about town. We spoke for some time and when I got home I checked out his website and was very moved by the narrative and the warmth of his work.
You may recognise his materials in the street art, you might not realise it but you know what they are. You’ll have walked past them without noticing most of the time. Scaffold protection foam. There’s something very neat about this to me, using something that softens a blow or stops something from being damaged. When you consider Duncan’s work, so much of it seems to be about healing. I love this connection.
Check out more of Duncan’s work here.
