TABLEAU VIVANT... Opens At Skylight One Hanson

Sarah Small's "Tableau Vivant of the Delirium Constructions," which takes place May 23 and 24 at Skylight One Hanson, the former Williamsburg Bank Building, is part compelling performance, part homage to the history of art, part joyous celebration, and part radical experiment.

Using the original arched mosaic ceilings, terrazzo and marble floors, and sparkling chandeliers
of the landmark building as its set, "Tableau Vivant" incorporates 120 performers of all ages,
sizes, colors, and temperaments to create a live mosaic of humanity--its joys, tragedies, fears,
and romances.

During a visit to the Louvre two years ago, Small was struck by the diversity of emotions,
gestures, facial expressions, and movement imprisoned in the neatly framed paintings hanging
on the museum walls. What would it be like if the frames melted away and the subjects,
representing a visual encyclopedia of the human condition, stepped forward into the gallery to
mingle with each other--for the comic to comfort their tragic neighbor or for a grotesque to
argue with a naïf?

Such unseemly and discordant pairings were already a driving interest behind Small's still
photography project, "The Delirium Constructions." However, animating the still image could
engage the audience on another level. The addition of music including an original live A
Cappella arrangement based on traditional Bulgarian folk melodies, choral drones, and operatic
song would add another layer of harmonies and dissonances similar to those visually explored
in the tableau. Add to this: two real life marriages--one each evening--to exemplify the
intimate union of two individuals before an audience, while uniting reality and performance art.
The result: "Tableau Vivant of the Delirium Constructions."

"Tableau Vivant of the Delirium Constructions" is Small's most ambitious work in this area to
date. Previous "Tableaux" have been presented at 92Y Tribeca, the Clock Tower Building,
powerHouse Arena in DUMBO, and most recently at Bathhouse Studios in the East Village.
Small, age 32, has already been recognized by American Photo Magazine, which in 2009 named
her one of the top 13 emerging photographers working today. She was a finalist in
International Talent Support's ITS#PHOTO competition. Her photography and visual art have
appeared in Vogue, LIFE, Rolling Stone, Zoom International and The New York Times. Her work
has been shown in galleries throughout the United States as well as in China, Taiwan, Korea,
Madrid, Hungary, Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain, Australia, and the Netherlands.
http://www.sarahsmall.com/

The May 23 performance is at 7PM and the May 24 performance is at 8PM. Tickets, which
range from $25 to $125, are available online at www.LivingPictureProjects.com/Tickets or by
calling 1-800-838-3006. They will also be available Saturday, May 21 through Tuesday, May
24 at the box office. Skylight One Hanson is located at One Hanson Place, Fort Greene,
Brooklyn.

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