Genius Loci: Frieze

concept by Hope Sandrow

Live in the Contemporary Gallery             

A performance incorporating poses from the replicas of Babylonian and Parthenon procession friezes (pictured by Sandrow, below) in the original Samuel L. Parrish Art Museum with notions of the figure and the golden ratio from that time embodied in the work of Eugen Sandow (1867-1925). Juxtaposed to “now”, contexts investigated throughout Sandrow’s work.

Sited in the (golden rectangle proportioned) Contemporary Gallery, a nude male will perform poses originated by Sandow. He visited museums to study the Grecian ideal depicted in the statues; considered the first performance artist following his appearance in the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair posing covered in white powder to resemble Greek marble sculptures in a black velvet lined room. Sandow was a world renowned performer during the lifetime of avid collector Samuel L. Parrish of (reproduction) greek statues and busts.

Sandow was the spokesmen for the elixir "Johann Hoff" - - two bottles of which Sandrow unearthed (1992, on land that became her open air studio in 2006). "Sandow" (his chosen name)  a close version of her own last name Sandrow ... both Russian Jewish descent - at the time she unearthed the Hoff bottles was working on a series of photographs that referenced the greek ideal of the human body…. chance (or destined) happenings?

The live performative work Frieze not realized (proposal not approved 2013).

Note: Included in Genius Loci: Observational Findings, the Illustration of Johann Hoff's malt extract advertisement (1893) featuring Eugen Sandow (pictured left) alongside glass bottles of Johann Hoff Malt Extract unearthed by Sandrow (1992)