FREZNO SLEEZO

 

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA— The University Gallery in Sacramento State held a reenactment of Vicki Hall's 1970 feminist performance "Fresno Sleezo." Performed by artists Heather Schlesinger and John Klaiber. This performance was in conjunction with "She Laughs Back: Feminist Wit in 1970s Bay Area Art" exhibit, February 6 – April 13, 2024.

This reenactment of the original performance showcases a modern perspective on feminist issues. The original performance was inspired by an underrepresentation of women in university art programs. It specifically reflected on the situation at CSU Fresno's MFA program, where Hall was the sole female student. 

In this performance, the women character uses a variety of tools and materials to construct nice curtains on the wall. She is taking her time, contemplating its aesthetic, smiling throughout the process indicating that she is feeling happy and joyful with what she is creating. When it is all done, she notices the presence of power tools and a target that she can put around her neck, but throws those away. She leaves the scene.

A few moments later, the male character walks into the scene and finicks around with the left over materials and power tools, setting up his own scene on top of the women's decorations. He looks for discs he can use as some sort of target for target practice. He finds the tray that can be tied around the neck and is satisfied with that.

He then decides to sit back and wait until the female arrives, in which he grabs her and ties her in chains to the wall. He puts the tray on her neck and decides to shoot his toy bullets on her, using her as the target.

Analysis:

This offers a modern reinterpretation of gender roles and feminist issues within the art context: It starts with a female character, possibly representing an isolated female figure in a male-dominated field, engaging joyfully in the creative process of decorating a wall with curtains. The male character enters after she leaves and imposes his own vision over her work. He uses the materials and space for a more aggressive and destructive form of expression, setting up a target practice scene. This action symbolizes the overshadowing of female contributions and efforts by male dominance.

This is a very interesting performance art that got me feeling some way. I felt bad for the female who spent her time decorating the scene because even though I am a man, I have had moments where I feel accomplished only for it to be stomped down by another person who thinks they are better than me. I think that this performance art still resonates today, and I was glad to see how the original artist came to see a re-performance of her art, which hasn't happened for almost 60 years. So much has changed since then, and I am looking forward for the future of art for social justice!