Chetwynd created a new and unique performance based on a live game show. Two teams, ‘The Oppressed Purée’ and ‘Women Who Refuse To Grow Old Gracefully’, took part in a live competition. Accompanied by a chamber orchestra recreating seal music, they performed mime and dance routines in order to compete for the glory of a ride on ‘The Cat Bus’, a character brought to life from Studio Ghibli’s anime film, Totoro My Neighbour. The event was a spirited contest, incorporating Chetwynd’s interest in amateur performance, handmade costume, and a number of conflating influences, ranging from Mae West to John Waters, via Doris Lessing and the Marx Brothers.
Spartacus Chetwynd (b.1973) is a British artist, based in London. Recent solo shows and projects include ‘The Snail Race’, Massimo de Carlo Gallery, Milan (2008), ‘Help! I’m Trapped in a Muzuzah Factory’, Le Consortium, Dijon (2008) and ‘Spartacus Chetwynd’, migros museum, Zurich (2007). Group shows and projects include: South London Cultural Centre, London and Helmut Newton Ladies Nights, ‘Event Horizon’, Royal Academy, London (both 2009). Forthcoming shows include: ‘British Art Show’, Hayward Touring Exhibitions and Le Printemps de Septembre à Toulouse (both 2010).
