Gerard and Kelly's 'Ideological Formation' Performance at Mount Tremper Arts

On August 14th, 2010, at Mount Tremper Arts in New York's Catskill Mountains, Brennan Gerard and Ryan Kelly showcased their performance titled 'Ideological Formation.' The piece featured three male dancers—Kelly, Jose Tena, and Ben Asrial—who performed to tracks including Madonna's 'Material Girl' and Lady Gaga's 'Alejandro.' This work is an evolution of their earlier video project 'You Call This Progress?', which documented their intervention at the Volta Art Fair, where they engaged with Tino Sehgal's 'The Kiss' (2002). Recently completing the Whitney Independent Study studio program, Gerard and Kelly blend high and low culture, referencing figures like Martha Graham and Robert Morris while critiquing commodification and queer aesthetics. A video by Chelsea Tonelli Knight, showcasing dancers in the Esopus River, accompanied the performance, which challenges gender neutrality and examines militaristic and sexual portrayals of the male form.