Duster Cabaret

Description:

Duster is a single-channel video by Rebecca Belmore, Hank Bull, and Eric Metcalfe that deconstructs the concept of “the Western.”

At the centre of Duster are the scheming MacBooty Brothers (Bull and Metcalfe), whose greed ignites an epic chase for a treasured skull. Standing in their way is an alliance between saloon owner Gertrude Stein (Cornelia Wyngaarden), the enigmatic, shapeshifting Wizard and Conchita (Warren Arcand), and the Hi-tech Tipi Trauma Mama (Belmore). Together, they work to protect the precious remains from the Macbootys and the exploitative tycoon Dark Day (Fraser Finlayson). Their pursuit stretches across a desert, a ghost town, a lost mine, and even a cable shopping channel, culminating in a meditation on love, death, identity, narrative, and a reverence for ancestors. 

As part of production, a live taping took place in the Grand Luxe Hall. Duster props, painted sets, and costumes were on display, and audience members—who were featured in the video—were encouraged to dress in country western garb. 

During the cabaret event, Belmore sang “I’m a High-Tech Tipi Trauma Mama,” as well as an opening spoken word piece addressing the Oka Crisis. She was joined onstage by cast members Warren Arcand, Hank Bull, Fraser Finlayson, Leonard Fisher, David Hay, Eric Metcalfe, and Cornelia Wyngaarden, and musicians Dave Gregg and Ian Tiles.

Video documentation is available upon request.