Sarah Contos: Nikola Tesla sends Theda Bara to Mars

A succession of objects unfolds across the foyer ceiling—black and white stills, metallic holes and drops, disembodied arms and several cigarettes, among other things. These ‘frames’ merge and overlap to create a series of moving images, a literal 3D movie. Nikola Tesla sends Theda Bara to Mars is an exploration of the cinematic experience.

Positioning herself as the ‘director’, Contos conceives the work in terms of the cast (images), costumes (materials) and scenery (structure). Her aim is to initiate a dialogue between the various elements of her mobiles which punctuate the space. The result is a work which oscillates between sculpture, collage, print, quilting and film.

After casting her images—talent found in second-hand books on cinema, theatre and twentieth century design—they are then screen-printed and manipulated with graffiti, applique and studs. Contos’ process is one of making the generic personal, recalling ad hoc backyard theatrical shows, internet fan fictions and ‘smash-up’ decoupage on school books. In the same way a film may mean something different to each viewer based on their own experiences, these images which refer to a range of universal themes—love, war, sex, fear and more—are edited and reinterpreted by Contos to invite a more intimate encounter.

Nikola Tesla sends Theda Bara to Mars acknowledges the inherent duality within cinema as both a public and private experience, psychologically and physically—looking on at the big screen in a crowded movie theatre or within the security of the bedroom, underneath the covers.

Sarah Contos: Nikola Tesla sends Theda Bara to Mars is part of The Balnaves Contemporary Series.