Cherdonna Shinatra: Clock That Construct

Clock That Construct is an immersive environment and series of performances that Seattle-based dance artist Jody Kuehner/Cherdonna Shinatra created during a month-long  residency at the Henry. Through the persona of Cherdonna, Kuehner draws on traditions of feminist and queer performance using her body as a canvas to confront and confuse the social and cultural tropes that constitute the feminine. During her time at the Henry, Kuehner has been exploring new expressive possibilities for Cherdonna and the imaginative potential of play to liberate and break restrictive gender codes and expectations. 

Thursday, May 18, 7-8:30 pm

Friday, May 19, 1-2:30 pm

Saturday, May 20, 1-2:30 pm

Sunday, May 21, 1-2:30 pm

Outside of these scheduled performances, the gallery-cum-immersive stage set is open for visitors to enter Cherdonna’s imaginary world and to explore the material traces that have accumulated during her time in the space.

Clock That Construct at the Henry aggregates Cherdonna’s performance materials and serves as an active, generative site for mining potential from within her performance history. Clock That Construct supports Cherdonna’s current two-year, three-part project, one great, bright, brittle alltogetherness, realized through a unique partnership between Seattle’s Velocity Dance Center (lead presenter partner) and On the Boards, with generous support from the National Dance Project. Part II, Clock that Mug or Dusted premiered at Velocity in 2016, and the culminating Part III premieres at On the Boards in October 2017. 

In conjunction with Clock That Construct, a selection of work from the Henry’s collection that addresses the performativity of identity and the individual and collective weight of cultural scripts and expectations will be on view April 15 to May 21. This presentation features work by Tamy Ben-Tor, Candice Breitz, and Aneta Grzeszykowska, among others.