From the exhibit, Otherworldly, Performance, Costume and Difference, Forever Young by Narcissister stood out to me. I thought that she was able to choreograph and perform the piece so gracefully. I have not seen many performance pieces that are choreographed to a song, let alone a classic pop song. The way she was able to transition and represent different stages of her life through her costume and mask changes was impressive. I did find it shocking when she pulled out the old lady mask and the grey hair in a grotesque manner. But, it created an intense contrast to the lightness and innocence she displayed throughout the video.
I took the video as a commentary on the expected or stereotypical path of a woman’s life. She marks all the major milestones of a girl who graduates from college, gets married and has kids. Since she uses 50’s style doll-like masks, I interpreted that she was commenting on gender roles of the time period and possibly how it has changed nowadays. There isn’t the same expectation for women to move through these sequential milestones in middle-class America anymore. However, this remains true for many other cultures still.
