Mark Brennan Glasgow Herald February 2005 www.theherald.co.uk

in Glasgow ... 'TRANS-ACTS by Julia Bardsley at the NATIONAL REVIEW OF LIVE ARTS, The Arches, Glasgow 9th-11th February 2005 Trans-Acts, Julia Bardsley’s stunning tripartite project exploring roles, reality and ways of seeing, has been some three years in the making. It shows in the sheer magic and detail of the photographs and video that lead us towards the live performance and it shows in the intricacies of concept and artefact that unfold during the performance. It’s as if Bardsley had fragmented her sense of self as a woman and as an artist into a freefall of little pieces, then started to jigsaw the different strands together. On-screen, she’s the actress auditioning for a part as a car-crash survivor. Live, she’s the director, in a power suit that unzips to reveal not just caches of miniature ‘selves’ but costume additions of a demonic nature. These strands intertwine with mythic and religious imagery, with explorations of perception and perspective, all underpinned by Andrew Poppy’s score. You could revisit this piece over and over and find new dimensions, new insights.'