Radical Juxtapositions 1961-2002

Book excerpt: Radical Juxtapositions is the first book to present both artistic facets of Yvonne Rainer, dance innovator and award-winning filmmaker. One of the most respected artists of the twentieth century, Rainer broke new ground as part of the Judson Dance Theater in the early 1960s, where she created choreography that connected directly to life and utilized everyday movements--very much in sync with the contemporaneous aesthetics of Happenings, Pop art and Minimalism. When dance failed to provide her with avenues through which to broach political subject matter, Rainer became a radical filmmaker. In this monograph, her work is examined from various vantage points by noted dance, film and art historians, with Rainer herself contributing an essay on how aging has affected her work and life. Including the score for her new work, After Many a Summer Dies the Swan: Hybrid, this volume is completed by an annotated biography and a full chronology and filmography.