Review of “Birth Death Breath” at The Armory Center For The Arts, Pasadena, CA
editDiane Christiansen and Jeanne Dunning
The Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena, California
Recommendation by Jody Zellen
It is impossible not to smile when visiting Diane Christiansen and Jeanne Dunning’s imaginative musical installation. “Birth Death Breath” is an original opera performed by an array of customized inflatable lawn figures that oscillate, sway inflate and deflate throughout the opera’s duration.
The inflatables range from store-bought figures like snowmen, turkeys, reindeer or hunters dressed in camouflage, to custom hybrids that reference the idea of “other.” As we cross over wooden bridges following the libretto around the space, we are lead on a journey about identity, life, death and existence as performed by a playfully inventive menagerie.