Call it earth mother feminism. Performance artist Shana Robbins pursues and celebrates mythic woman power in ”Supernatural Conductor,” an impressive body of work at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. It’s nice to see an Atlanta artist given the run of the place, which Robbins has filled with evidence of her multifarious skills: videotaped performances, costumes and props, plus drawings and photographs. On opening night, she performed a live piece.
Robbins’ performances, which generate the rest of her work, represent the desire to absorb the power of the natural and spiritual worlds, which are, in many cultures, one in the same. The persona she’s developed suggests a fusion of human, animal and plant spirits, as signaled by the wearing of antlers made of branches. In the video of the performance “Monstrous Feminine,” she is wrapped head to toe like a mummy (also like the strappy dresses and shoes now in fashion) in strips of green fabric, so that she merges with her wooded surroundings. This and other costumes bear an uncanny resemblance to those worn in African masquerades. (Check out Phyllis Galembo’s photos at Hagedorn Foundation Gallery.)
The performances are variations on a theme and format. The masked artist performs slow-paced, ritualized movements that involve interactions with the landscape setting (from Georgia woods to Iceland seascape) and/or the symbolic trees on view in the gallery.
The drawings depict scenes from the performances, but they stand on their own because of Robbins’ technical skill and their evocative power. In fact, the two-dimensional work and the costumes are Robbins’ best work. Ironically, despite their importance as sources, the performances are the weakest link of her oeuvre.
Robbins has an eye for visually arresting images. A professional model, she is comfortable with her body and knows how to present it. Her presence and imaginative costumes, which alternate between body-hugging pieces and multi-layered Victorian gowns, account for the impact of her performances. But her actions don’t hold the extended attention a time-based medium asks of its audience, as demonstrated by “Superconductor.”
The opening scene cleverly channeled classic horror film tropes. Robbins lay motionless in a coffin underground but visible through the gallery window (think ant farm) until a tuxedo-ed man -- silhouetted by an actual dark and stormy night -- dug her up. The tension and claustrophobia made for riveting drama.
Also striking was the scene in which she stood with her face in the center of a giant dream-catcher, behind a fabulous scrim of old doilies pieced together like a quilt of spider webs. (The Ojibwa term for this Native American protective charm is “spider.”) That corner of the gallery was decorated with crystals and other amulets, all told, a fitting incarnation of her concept of a supernatural conductor.
Then the air went out of the balloon. Robbins disappeared for an interminable costume change. By the time she returned in her green mummy outfit to dance like a hip-hop robot, it was too late to get anyone’s attention. As tableaux vivants, the first two scenes worked, but the sequences between and after them didn’t, and the elements didn’t mesh.
The staging also was a problem. It was impossible to see much of anything unless one was in front of the crowd packed into the gallery, especially when the paparazzi hogged the space in front of the doily scrim. An elevated stage or a seated audience would have helped.
Clearly, Robbins has the talent and ambition to move forward. The opportunity to take stock through this exhibition makes the show all the more important.
Also on view, Amy Myers deals with related themes in the two beautiful monumental drawings in “Feminine Space.”
Catherine Fox is chief visual arts critic of ArtsCriticATL.com
“Shana Robbins: Supernatural Conductor.”
Through Sept. 19. $5; $3, students, seniors; free for members children under 12 and on Thursdays. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays; until 8 p.m. Thursdays; noon-5 p.m., Sundays. The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, 535 Means St. 404-688-1970. www.thecontemporary.org
The bottom line: Atlanta artist Shana Robbins shows her accomplishments and the work ahead of her.
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