Picture yourself wandering through a lively gallery where a towering brick wall bursts into life with vibrant video projections.
Here, dancers, basketball players, and carefree spirits blend in a stunning display that captivates your senses.
This mesmerizing experience is part of Charles Atlas’s installation, The Mathematics of Consciousness, currently being showcased at Pioneer Works in New York.
It’s a feast for the eyes, as the projections weave a rich tapestry of movement and emotion that pulls you into its enchanting world.
The Whimsical World of Charles Atlas
One standout piece in this collection is the whimsical 24-minute film As Seen on TV (1988), featuring the delightful Bill Irwin.
In this playful narrative, Irwin’s character embarks on a journey through a surreal landscape, initially taking part in a dance audition before getting entrapped by the television screen.
What follows is a fantastical transition—from a guest on Sesame Street to a star in a lavish dance performance where he fully embraces his diva persona.
This delightful metamorphosis reflects your own immersive experience in Charles Atlas’s extraordinary multimedia universe, where creativity knows no bounds.
The Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston is currently hosting Atlas’s first major retrospective in the United States, running until March 16.
With over 125 films and videos on display, many of which are designed as immersive multichannel installations, this showcase promises an exhilarating experience that mirrors the whimsical adventure of Irwin’s character.
A Journey Through Movement and Technology
Originally from St. Louis, Atlas ventured to New York City in the early 1970s, quickly becoming a pivotal figure in the city’s avant-garde art scene.
His connections with groundbreaking artists such as John Cage and Merce Cunningham led to the creation of stunning performances that merged the realms of sound and movement, inviting diverse talents to collaborate and innovate.
Esteemed creators like Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns enriched these performances with their unique artistic insights.
Equipped with a Super 8 camera, Atlas began documenting the innovative choreography of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, laying the groundwork for a long-lasting partnership.
His early work, including Walkaround Time (1973), reveals the intricate relationship between movement and stage space.
Here, Atlas’s camera dances alongside the performers, capturing their artistry from intimate close-ups to expansive shots, inviting the audience to experience the story unfold over time in a captivating way.
Atlas and Cunningham pioneered the concept of “media-dance,” merging choreography with inventive cinematography.
This innovative approach allowed them not only to celebrate the beauty of movement but also to challenge the conventions of traditional performance.
With the advent of video technology in the 1960s, artists like Atlas found a new avenue for experimentation, breaking free from the constraints of theater.
Their collaboration led to groundbreaking works such as Squaregame Video (1976) and Fractions I (1978), where Atlas’s creative vision flourished.
Through the lens of the camera, he examined the viewing experience, showcasing the limitations of human perception when witnessing dance.
Despite not being a trained dancer himself, Atlas held a profound appreciation for movement’s ability to convey complex ideas and emotions.
Embracing New Trends and Technologies
With the release of Locale (1978), Atlas’s artistic journey took a significant turn as he embraced the Steadicam to capture dancing in contrasting environments, contrasting a sunlit studio with the shadows of a dark stage.
This technological advancement allowed him to create a unique visual style characterized by vivid colors, playful references, and reflective elements, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in a realm where tension meets harmony.
While Cage and Cunningham often leaned towards a minimalist aesthetic, Atlas embraced a more maximalist approach.
His videos are an eclectic blend of genres, vibrant with energy and swirling ideas, each piece resonating with viewers on multiple levels.
In the 1980s and 90s, Atlas delved into the pulsating rhythms of New York’s underground nightlife, collaborating with artists who epitomized the vibrant cultural shifts of the time.
His works echoed the legacies of icons like Andy Warhol and Jack Smith, shining with themes of erotic expression and artistic liberation.
Atlas built a dynamic team of collaborators, including the boundary-breaking choreographer Michael Clark and the audacious performance artist Leigh Bowery.
Together, they infused his projects with creative boldness, cultivating a rich visual and emotional language that celebrated movement, fashion, and identity while pushing the limits of aesthetic and thematic expression.
His videos, often accompanied by eclectic soundtracks that spanned punk rock to classical compositions, radiate the spirit of nightlife, alive with radical shifts in mood.
Atlas’s vibrant humor adds layers of joy and exuberance to his work.
In From an Island Summer (1983-84), three dancers playfully dance across Coney Island, capturing the whimsical essence of movement and connection.
As the 1990s progressed, Atlas encountered the profound losses inflicted by the AIDS epidemic.
His poignant piece Son of Sam and Delilah (1991) serves as a haunting commentary on this tragic reality, framed through a collage of urban life that addresses societal fears while also celebrating the resilience of the human spirit through the medium of dance.
Over the past two decades, Atlas has seamlessly adapted to technological innovations, embracing everything from motion capture to 3D video.
His works remix historical footage while continuously infusing new creativity, exemplified in installations such as A Prune Twin (2020).
With an eye on contemporary trends, Atlas has shown an appreciation for TikTok, connecting with its viral dance culture that resonates well with his approach to “media-dance.” His latest installation, The Mathematics of Consciousness (2022), features dancers moving in rhythm to Lizzo’s infectious beats, highlighting the evolution of dance in an age of connectivity and creativity.
At its core, Atlas’s work invites us to explore the limitless potential of the dancing body, transcending traditional boundaries of time and space.
His artistic journey embodies a quest for richer, more diverse, even quantum dimensions of existence.
Through his art, Atlas inspires us to celebrate movement, creativity, and the infinite beauty of the human experience.