Charles Atlas

The first time I saw the character from Charles Atlas’ film I immediately was drawn to in. it was the most fascinating thing I had ever seen. The Late actor Leigh Bowery had a piercing on his face from the center of is cheek that went all the way to his upper lip. It was so weird yet so amazing although I’ve seen piercings in people’s cheek but none to that extreme that extended all the way to the lips. I think I take’s big balls to do something so outrageous, but then again it’s the outrageous things that people that make people look at them in a differently. I mean people are always taught to be different and stand out.

Charles Atlas was born and raised in St Louis Missouri also known as the “Show me state” In 1958(pbs.org.) In an interview with portland art he stated that he went to college majored in liberal arts but after two years he dropped out after two years(portlandart.) He described that he spent most of his child hood in the basement of his own home being that Missouri always faced deadly Tornado warnings. Which would later on go on to inspire him to do a video instillation called “tornado warnings”. Atlas is a video artist and is also a film director in which he does both the light and setting. He has created a lot of work for things such as television, museums and the stage. Atlas is a “Pioneer for development of media and dance.” In which the two are integrated together. Often times he has said that media and dance has been created for the sole purpose of the camera.

Atlas doesn’t really have a “Best known” art work. However he is best known for association with various dancers and choreographers such as the late and great Leigh Bowery who died of the AIDS virus,(nytimes.com) not to mention John Kelly, Diamanda Galas and Michael Clark who’s he’s done a number of portraits for(forma.org.). Atlas has worked on things such television dance in which he had a reoccurring show on Dutch televisions. They incorporated an assortment of burlesque, dance, ballet and figure skating.

Charles has earned enough awards out his life to last him a lifetime. He has won three Bessie awards. One in 1986 for “costumes for Michael Clark Dance Company.” In 1981 for sustained achievement in a video. In 1998 for the Martha tapes and his most high-status award was in 2003 where he took home the award for best documentary amongst many others of high stature.(foundation)

Reviewers from the NY Times say that Atlas’ videos are all well proficient. However they believe one is a home run out the ball park. They believed his film “Teach” was astonishing, they talk about how bold he was to dress like that and described how he was dressed and how he looked. According to them he’s captured an“extraordinary one”(nytimes)

As for me one of my favorite art pieces by Charles Atlas would most definitely have to be tornado warnings (which I mentioned briefly earlier). It hasn’t been done live yet however I really do like his art work. This piece in particular he put tornado waning together by creating two separate rooms that were across from one another. One room was very boring and vague the room was filled with silence and big numbers going across. What really caught my eye is that the other room was disorganized with a bunch of sounds traveling through the room. It was like I put myself in that room creating frenzy.