Burlesk 1942

Bertram Goodman’s lithograph titled ‘Burlesk’ probably came into being after a night out at the theatre. It makes me wonder about the relationship between performer and audience, and the nature of spectatorship itself. The composition is divided vertically, with the performer spotlit on stage to the right, and the audience members crammed into rows and balconies to the left, all vying for a better look. The eye contact seems so directional, doesn't it? I'm curious about the way the audience is drawn with such thick black lines, contrasting so strongly with the white spotlight on the stage, drawing our eyes. It makes me think about who’s looking at who, and how the act of looking is as much a performance as the performance itself. I feel like Goodman is inviting us to question what’s going on between the watchers and the watched, and maybe even within ourselves.