Optimism

In Dawson City, in Yukon Territory, Canada, the late-19th-century gold rush (“Klondike Gold Rush”) has proven to be a boon for tourism, but the gold-seekers are still there. With this puzzle of sound and Super-8 images, Deborah Stratman playfully blends the attraction of gold and a climatic phenomenon: in this town nestled at the bottom of a valley, sun beams are as rare as gold nuggets. How can the star be drawn down if not by capturing and diffracting its rays? Installed on a ridge, a curious mirrored disc fulfils this function, futile yet vital, decorative and invigorating. In fact, it is one of a duo of public sculptures, Augural Pair, created by Deborah Stratman and Steven Badgett. The editing skilfully links this motif to the local cabaret, another of the golden age’s progeny, through the circle of light that follows an artist on stage. A muffled and mysterious world, reminiscent of Twin Peaks, rises to the surface. The insistent rhythm of a craftsman’s gesture, which ultimately crowds out the noises of the forest fauna, highlights a historical cover-up: the human cost of the gold rush or, in other words, the expropriation of indigenous groups. More than a simple nod, the music of Chaplin’s Gold Rush is stripped here of its burlesque potential to convey dramatic and disquieting tones that undermine the luminous sheen of the title. (Charlotte Garson)