This year is particularly dear for me because it was 40 years ago, March 20, 1982, that I did my first performance/installation, Coming From Blindness into Sight, in the lobby of One World Trade Center, to celebrate the Vernal Equinox and my official name change to SuZen,
I stood behind a set of black mini blinds, that were attached to my 6’ x 12’ folding screen of my photos of the World Trade Center seen through blinds. These images are part of my Blindseries. As I moved to a soundtrack that I created, a friend hiding behind a curtain, opened and closed the blinds to my movements. At a certain moment on the soundtrack, there was an explosion, I fell to the ground, there was silence and then the blinds lifted up. Looking out at the audience, I slowly got up and heard a voice on the soundtrack say, “Take a Chance“. As I emerge, I began swaying and stripping away my dark layers of clothes, symbolic of my old identity, and revealing my colorful clothes and true self. Then I selected a young man from the audience, as we danced, we invited the audience members to join us in the dance of life. It was truly a magical day!
Attached are some photos, which my dear friend, Keni Fine, took. Keni will be performing at this year’s Spirit of Spring Festival of the Arts making a special appearance as Goldee Goldsteen.