Digitally driven, image laden, and over branded, 21st century contemporary culture has resulted in a yearning for a simpler more streamlined lifestyle. The conspicuous consumption of (practically) any form of minimalist design--whether in fashion, architecture, music, or art--has become an all too powerful coping mechanism. So why not embrace the chaos and make it your muse? This seems to be the tactic artist Marcel Dzama has taken with his career as well as the costume and set design of New York City Ballet's The Most Incredible Thing.
Upon moving to New York City in 2004, Dzama began to create densely populated images arranged in various dance positions as a means of bringing order to his life in the claustrophobic city. As a result, dance became a source of inspiration and fascination. In fact, his published works The Berliner Ensemble Thanks You All and The Course of Human History Personified are two notable examples of his ornately conceptualized cast of characters.
Fast forward to 2016, Dzama has joined with choreographer Justin Peck and composer Bryce Dessner to envision the New York City Ballet's adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Most Incredible Thing. The (predictably dark) fairy tale tells the story of a magical clock, where every hour a new life-like mythic figure performs a dance. There's a king, a princess, a love interest, and an evil dude trying to wreck it all (and, well, you know the rest). Dzama's prismatic cast of characters and set designs were culled from movements, artists, and literary works including Marcel Duchamp, Francis Picabia, and Hans Christian Andersen's The Red Shoes.
So what did Marcel Dzama's colorful cast of characters amount to?
