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The word is out.  Quixotic Fusion doesn't put on shows or give performances, they stage events.  So naturally these innovative and daring generative artists, led by artistic directors Anthony Magliano and Mica Thomas, would tackle something like this.

Rappelling down the sheer face of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.  Spinning, suspended in midair, backlit by the illuminated glass exterior of the Bloch Building.  Installing a giant, four-legged aerial hammock that fit right in with the stone and metal denizens of the Sculpture Park.

On Saturday evening, September 12^th, over three thousand people brought their blankets and folding chairs and camped out on the south lawn of the Nelson-Atkins to see the latest offering from the multi-disciplined art collective, a site-specific installation dubbed "Surface."

As I sifted through the crowd, I caught a word with Rick Willoughby, Quixotic's bassist and one of its composers.  "Sit by 'The Thinker," he advised.  "You'll catch all three perspectives."

Staged in the round, the audience was treated to a performance art display that was true to its theme, catering to and utilizing the physical surfaces and features of the Nelson-Atkins grounds.

Rappelling ropes hung down from the roof of the Nelson and pulleys stretched taut in front of the Bloch Building, lending an air of precarious anticipation-the potential for adrenaline and danger-that has become a trademark of Quixotic performances.

After the opening strains of a pretty string prelude, "Cartography," the ensemble marched down the museum steps in an impressionist promenade wearing barely-there techno-glam costumes accentuating the sleek lines and sinew of each dancer.

Throughout the evening, Quixotic highlighted the vast variety of styles and skills in their arsenal.  The aerial hammock's single, translucent piece of fabric held its dancer like a cocoon womb and offered up a traditional aerial fabrics performance.  A steel jungle gym positioned in front of the band gave center stage to contortionism, gymnastics, and stylish modern dance.

The band composed an original soundtrack for "Surface" that was consistently intriguing, reminiscent of the engaging sonic landscapes of artists such as Sigur Ros, Bjork, and Kid A-era Radiohead.  Shane Borth's expressive violin work was featured throughout and Laura Scarborough's ethereal vocals were particularly highlighted. 

Truly a collaborative effort, each band member contributed compositions for "Surface."  Rick Willoughby cooked up an electro-funk groove to the frenzied ensemble piece, "Simple Thoughts."

Brandon Draper and Scarborough penned "All We Know," a piece that, sans dancers, showcased the musical talent of the group.  Surrounded by stone and trees, Scarborough showcased her rich vibrato, singing a haunting song that strengthened the terrestrial theme of the evening.  Laurel Morgan contributed a gorgeous violin solo.

The song best demonstrated the distinct identity of this performance, creating a much more organic, almost arboreal, atmosphere that distinguished itself from the stark and kinetic electronic rock of Quixotic's "Lux Esalare."

About forty minutes into the production, Chelsea Teel-Wilcox was flown up a pulley apparatus positioned in front of the Bloch Building.  While the evening had been consistently enjoyable to this point, this marked the beginning of the moment we'd all been waiting for.  Teel-Wilcox delivered with her self-choreographed "Renew," a dizzying display of aerial spinning and romantic suspension.

Soon afterward, the focus shifted to the face of the Nelson, a stone canvas for the most visually-arresting pieces of the evening.  A video projection splashed aggressively across the surface of the building like a chemical mix of monochromatic Mondrian and Tetris on amphetamines.

Whetting the audience's appetite for the impending aerial display, the cinematic visuals softened into an aurora borealis night sky in the soundscape, "Paper Cranes," before transforming into almost mathematic waveforms for the finale, "Awakenings."

Scuttling down the side of the building, at first only visible due to the bioluminescent insect wings on their backs, Amanda Artigas and Jessie Fouts, flew through a series of runs, leaps, and acrobatics choreographed by E.J. Reinagel that at times made me wonder if they were truly on level ground and I was fastened to a grassy, earthen wall.  Sunbursts exploded around the dancers, synchronized to Brandon Draper's tribal drumming and the band's insistent soundtrack.

It was the culminating act of sensory beauty that enveloped the audience in a fitting artistic statement: Quixotic used the surroundings at the Nelson-Atkins museum like sculptor's clay, raking away at the surface to reveal the art underneath.

Review:
Quixotic: "Surface"
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Sculpture Park at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
4525 Oak St., Kansas City, MO
For information visit online at www.nelson-atkins.org or www.quixoticfusion.com


Top Photo:
Maria Gonzalez

By Vi Tran

theSTEADY and Jazz Contributor (Past writer)

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