WESTERN FRONT – Battle of the Bluffs

Description:

Eleanor Antin's solo performance Battle of the Bluffs recounts the battle of Solana Beach, California, in which the protagonist, played by Antin, leads a neighbourhood army against a group of developers. The army consists of an infantry of elders with their shuffleboard sticks and a cavalry of youthful skateboarders. Together they advocate to protect their beach town from the developers who sought to transform the neighbourhood into condominiums and mansions. In the end, the Solana Beach army is betrayed and Antin fundraises for a new army.

In 1974, Antin performed Battle of the Bluffs as a series of street improvisations, and debuted the work as a theatrical performance on the opening night of the Venice Biennale in 1976.

Seen in black and white, Eleanor Antin stands in a spotlight looking forward with her hands at shoulder height, chin raised, and mouth open. She has long dark hair and wears a fake beard.

In black and white, stands Eleanor Antin with long dark hair and beard, seen from the waist up, wearing white. Her elbows are raised to shoulder height, arms bent at 90 degrees, both hands are blurred from motion, gaze looking upwards slightly, mouth agape.

In black and white, Eleanor Antin stands with her right arm raised in a shielding motion above her eyes. She has long dark hair and wears a fake beard. A microphone stands to the right.

Eleanor Antin, lunges on stage in front of a white backdrop while brandishing a stick forward. Their face remains mostly obscured by long dark hair and a fake beard. The stick passes in front of a wooden chair with an overcoat hung around its back. The image is in black and white.

Seen in black and white, Eleanor Antin stands with her eyes closed in front of a roughly drawn outline of the United States of America. She holds a felt marker in her right hand, and wears a floppy brimmed hat, a cape and a fake beard. A wooden chair is positioned in front of her.

In black and white, Eleanor Antin crouches on a stage in front of a white backdrop. With her eyes closed, she tilts her head back and raises her right arm. The left side of her body is covered by a long cape.

Captions:

Eleanor Antin, Battle of the Bluffs (1976), photo documentation, Mar 26, 1981.
Eleanor Antin, Battle of the Bluffs (1976), photo documentation, Mar 26, 1981.
Eleanor Antin, Battle of the Bluffs (1976), photo documentation, Mar 26, 1981.
Eleanor Antin, Battle of the Bluffs (1976), photo documentation, Mar 26, 1981.
Eleanor Antin, Battle of the Bluffs (1976), photo documentation, Mar 26, 1981.
Eleanor Antin, Battle of the Bluffs (1976), photo documentation, Mar 26, 1981.
Eleanor Antin, Battle of the Bluffs (1976), photo documentation, Mar 26, 1981.

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Western Front is a non-profit artist-run centre in Vancouver.

We acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations as traditional owners of the land upon which Western Front stands.