Lloyd Newson’s work has often been identified as having the ability to connect to the psychological perceptions of his audience. His work is not solely based on aesthetics but on the emotions triggered by creative movement and controversial subject matter. The use of fantasy can often trigger an intense emotive response and can often refer to the taboos of ‘normal’ social conduct. Newson is skilled in identifying the use of such fantasy taboos and often uses them as stimulus for his work. Below is an introduction to the nature of fantasies in the expressionist arts and suggestive links to the psychology of Newson’s work Dead Dreams of Monochrome Men.
Fantasies
It has become apparent that one of the main elements in psychological expressionism is the depiction of fantasy, creating a conflict within the work between the ideal situation and reality. Many expressionist artists created fantasy by exposing the taboos in our society and human nature’s desire to have control over others and to explore the forbidden. The need to dominate others can be seen in Arthur Saint-Lèon’s expressionist ballet, Coppélia, ou La Fille aux yeux d’émail, (Coppélia, or the Girl with Enamel Eyes), where the hero, Frantz, is attracted to a mechanical doll, Coppélia. From a feminist interpretation it has been suggested that one of the reason’s Frantz desires the doll over a proper women, is because he can ‘mould’ her into his ideal representation of a female being. The doll is depersonalised and can be treated merely as an object of desire, for it possess no personality of its own and therefore cannot protest against becoming an object of fantasy.
Dennis Nilsen’s fantasies
The ability to control a passive body or an automaton which represents the appearance of a human being can be compared to the fantasies described by Dennis Nilsen. As revealed in Brian Masters’ book, Killing for Company (1985), Nilsen’s constant morbid fantasies of the dead, plagued him throughout his life and was a major contribution to the tragic crimes that Nilsen committed. An early indication of Nilsen’s obsessive fantasies with death and the desire to control a passive body are presented during a recollection of Nilsen’s attempt at film making with a friend during their time in the army, which was described by Nilsen to Masters during an interview for Masters’ book.
Dead Dreams of Monochrome Men
Since Dennis Nilsen was a major influence on the creation of Lloyd Newson’s work Dead Dreams of Monochrome Men, it is not surprising, when viewing the work, to find images of seemingly dead, lifeless bodies being controlled by others. An example of this is demonstrated at the end, between Douglas Wright and Nigel Charnock, when Wright lies Charnock’s passive, semi-naked body flat on the floor. Wright towers over Charnock as if admiring him, before taking his underwear off and swapping it with Charnock’s. He then proceeds in putting his own underwear on Charnock, almost mimicking a child dressing a doll, taking great care not to hurt the lifeless body, as if it were more precious in its present state rather than in its usual active form. It now appears that Charnock’s body is just an object of desire, similar to the doll Coppélia, where Wright can use Charnock’s body to fulfil his fantasies. Wright has full control over Charnock, obliterating the fact that Charnock has any personality of his own. In his seemingly passive state Charnock cannot protest at the way Wright uses his body to satisfy his fantasies. This example also elicits a large amount of emotional disgust with the notion that somebody would want to swap a garment that conceals his sex, with one that has been worn by a body that appears ‘dead’. This concept results in provoking quite sexual, yet disturbing emotions while watching it, linking it even further with the expressionist artist’s depictions of fantasy, by portraying a social taboo, where the active body has an ‘unacceptable’ and ‘unhealthy’ relationship with the dead.
Source
- Masters, Brian (1985) Killing for Company: the case of Dennis Nilsen, London: Arrow Books
- Bergner, Gwen and Nicole Plett (1996) ‘Uncanny Woman and Anxious Masters: Reading Coppélia Against Freud’ in Morris, Gay, ed. Moving Words: London, Routledge
- Leask, Josephine (1995) ‘The Silence of the Man: an essay on Lloyd Newson’s Physical Theatre’, Ballet International, August/September, 48-53
Amy Watson - Amy-Louise is Artistic Director of the dance theatre company 90 Degree Rotations and has a PGCE in Dance Teaching.
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