there are times in your life when you can be touched or even inspired, without really being aware of the impact it may have. for me, one such moment was the very little known 90’s john boorman movie ‘where the heart is’ starring uma thurman. granted it might have been a tad melodramatic but i wont deny my own impressionability at the time.
since then i have been increasingly interested in the fantastic phenomenon of tableau vivant. as a cross-over from performance to fine art, it has become a real part of our visual library since the advent of photography and cinema. even before that it was customary practice at some royal and religious ceremonies to present a ‘living picture’ comprised of characters portraying scenes of events both as entertainment and commemoration.
photographers have turned to this mesmerising technique with great success and even the more pictorialist approach of imitating familiar works of art. the interesting thing about this is the viewer’s reaction which ranges from acknowledging the work in it’s own right to what i call a ‘spot-the-difference’ approach. the commentary that follows through some interpretations and reproductions nevertheless succeeds in being captivating and entertaining. this effect only deepens when one examines the context of these works. this identification is a necessary result of the connection we feel with our own corporeal existence. in this regard the museo diocesano in naples is reviving the tradition of these religious enactments by putting up 21 living instants from caravaggio’s artworks.
although much criticism is thrown at the tableau vivant as a mere cheap trick, there are some great examples to the contrary.
Museo Diocesano - Caravaggio
Museo Diocesano - Caravaggio
Red Saunders - The Hidden Project
Red Saunders - The Agreement (The Treaty of Utrecht)
Claudia Rogge _ Dante's Purgatory
Aymeric Giraudel - The Prophecy
Gèrhard Rancinan - The Raft of Illusions
Gèrhard Rancinan - The Dance
