Fun at The Big Show
By Claire Becker
Staff Writer

I arrived at the Edmunds Ballroom for The Big Show just as The Action Cats-four musicians dressed head-to-toe in cat costumes-were finishing their set. The Big Show is an annual event sponsored by PoSA that includes art from the five colleges and live music. As I crossed the room to get some wine, I saw the first of many strange events that took place Saturday evening.

In the center of the room lay an art piece by artist Joseph Prows '04, which consisted of a six foot diameter circle of small, red, ceramic pieces that were nearly the same color as the hardwood floor. I noticed the circle just in time to avoid stepping on it; a man to my left was not so lucky. As he approached from another direction, he apparently did not see the circle and as he took his first steps on to it, a surprised look came over him; he had already gone too far to turn around so he had no choice but to keep walking, and he somehow crossed the expanse of tiny clay pieces safely. I'm relatively sure this perhaps symbolic crossing caused no damage to the ceramic pieces, which looked like they were made by ripping off a chunk of clay, squeezing it to the shape of the inside of a hand, and tearing off the excess material. A small sign read "Take One," so art-lovers felt free to build towers with the ceramic pieces, and to lovingly toss them at the musicians playing in one of the bands.

This pile of ceramics was one of two interactive pieces in the show. At the entrance to the ballroom stood the other: a ten-foot tall wooden chair, built by Katie Yamashita '04. However, there was some disagreement as to just how interactive this chair should be. After one attendee attempted to move the chair to face the stage where the band formerly known as Lori and the Always Already was playing, the artist stopped her, protesting that the chair was "not furniture," even though partygoers were allowed to sit in it. The chair was popular, and although it withheld much sitting, it seemed to give out at the end of the night: as two people calmly climbed onto the chair and attempted to get comfortable, a few slats fell off of its back and clattered to the floor.

Another highlight of the show included photography by Todd Anderson '03, whose work played extensively with light and surface. On the floor lay three printouts of digital photographs that filled many sheets of 81/2 by 11 paper. One of my favorites was an extreme close up of a hand, hundreds of times larger (I hope) than the hand pictured. The artist said of this photograph, "That's what my hands look like after I take a shower." Anderson's collection also included photographs of a spectacular fire and a car's shiny finish reflecting a sunset.

Also notable was the work of Ty Velten '04, including drawings and sculpture. Modular Stream Bed, one of the best pieces in the show, was a large iron sculpture that weaved as a rectangular streambed might. A rectangular framework enclosed swirling iron rods that looked like moving water and seemed effortlessly to suspend large rocks in the air.

Like the art, the live music at The Big Show was of a similarly high quality zaniness. During the performance of the band formerly known as Lori and the Always Already, drummer Josh Shipper '03 played at least one song with a cardboard box over his head. One of the members of the next band, Mae Shi, held up a canvas with the words "Mae Shi" painted on it and then dropped the canvas onto the floor, making what could be misconstrued as a profound statement about art. The final band that played, Hangman Come Quickly, boasted a newly personalized bass drum, complete with scary letters spelling out "Hangman Come Quickly," a skull and crossbones, and at the top of the drum, some vegetation-possibly mistletoe. It was evident in their performance that all members of the band were excited about the artwork. This performance also saw the long-awaited return of Dusty Baker '87 to the Claremont Colleges. Baker is as much, if not more of, a musician as he was in his Cock Explosion days; in fact, there is more of him to love than ever.

I found The Big Show to be a great success. The art was fantastic, the music was loud, the crowd was wild (but not out of control), and the wine flowed like a modular streambed. The only valid complaint I heard about the night was made by Cynthia Parker '03, who lamented the fact that "there were no knives for the cheese or forks for the olives." I think that-like Parker-the lesson learned that night was that sometimes you just have to use your hands.