Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/110922
Sarasota News Leader February 22, 2013 EXPERIENCING WALL OF SKIN Wall of Skin began in almost complete darkness, with the exception of a small stage suffused with a muted, purple glow. Gressman, dressed in a white bodysuit that covered her from head to toe, stood motionless in front of a large, square sculpture of white drywall. She was bound to it by thin, white wires that appeared to be attached to her back. A faint, white light radiated from a thin aperture between the panels while a hushed, low frequency electronic drone emanated from the speakers on either side of the sculpture. Page 104 her peeling off the bodysuit to reveal another underneath it. Gressman then slowly began to struggle with the wires attached to her back, tearing through the drywall behind her and creating a light drawing by revealing lines of the brilliant white glow trapped within the sculpture. The more light that shone through, the higher the volume and pitch of the sound. Eventually, Gressman began to violently tear out large pieces of drywall, demolishing the facade of the sculpture and revealing the fixtures of fluorescent bulbs behind it. The whole space became bathed in radiant white light and intense The volume and pitch wavered slightly with noise. each motion she made. The changes inten- After all the light had been revealed and Gresssified as Gressman began to perform more man had shed a few more layers of her bodyelaborate movements that eventually led to suit ��� though never to the point of revealing Erica Gressman prior to the start of Wall of Skin. The performance was the most recent installment of New Music New College, which is known for live performances that frequently blur the lines between music and other forms of artistic expression. The series challenges audience members to rethink their conceptions of what can be considered music.