The Corner Gallery and sculptor Ken Hiratsuka OneLine Planet Exhibition invite the public to a Party and Performance on Valentine’s Day, Saturday February 14th. Gallery opens 4-7. Performance will be at
4:30 pm.
Hiratsuka’s exhibition of selected sculpture and new drawings has been extended to the end of February and works continue to be for sale. On the 14th the Gallery has invited choreographer Gloria McLean to perform, and she will be joined by musician Michael Suchorsky and dancers Colleen Blacklock (from Oneonta), Fina (from Germany and NYC), Puspa Ghalley (from NYC and Bhutan).
This will be a special event around Hiratsuka’s One Line String Piece installed in the gallery specially for
the performance.
The Corner Gallery is located on the corner where Main Street turns northward on Route 28.
Unraveling Ways: Intimate Improvisation at Andes’ Corner Gallery
by Robert Brune
On Saturday evening, February 14, the Corner Gallery in Andes offered an intimate and quietly transformative Valentine’s Day experience that brought together modern improvisational
dance, live percussion, and the conceptual installation of world-renowned stone sculptor Ken Hiratsuka, also known as One Line Ken. The performance unfolded around his and his wife Gloria McLean’s ‘One Line String Piece’, a vivid pink string slowly pulled and secured in a zigzag pattern across the walls and floor of the gallery, turning the room into both stage and sculpture.
The gallery space, shaped by the thoughtful stewardship of Jeff Bliumis, was filled with familiar faces from the local arts community, lending warmth and familiarity to the evening. This gathering of neighbors, artists, and longtime supporters contributed to the sense that the performance was not merely an event, but a shared moment. In a recent interview with the Mountain Eagle, Bliumis described his humble vision for the Corner Gallery: “It’s more of an artspace than a gallery. I try to make it available in a way that is not a traditional way galleries work.” That philosophy was vividly realized during this performance, where the boundaries
between audience, dancers, music, and sculpture dissolved.
The choreography was conceived by Gloria McLean, who also joined the performance alongside dancers Colleen Blacklock, Fina, and Puspa Ghalley. Together, they navigated the taut pink line with movements that alternated between fluid grace and deliberate awkwardness. At
moments, the dancers appeared to glide effortlessly along invisible pathways. At others, they stumbled, paused, or contorted, accentuating the challenge of being human and the inherent imperfections within relationships.
During the post-performance question and answer session, McLean revealed that the
theme was loosely based on a perception of the unraveling of ways. This concept resonated throughout the evening, as the string became both guide and obstacle, a fragile structure that shaped the dancers’ choices. The performance suggested the delicate negotiations required to maintain connection, whether in art, love, or daily life. For decades, McLean and Hiratsuka, who are married, have explored variations of this theme, blending sculpture, movement, and improvisation. Their most recent iteration prior to Saturday took place in July 2024 at McLean’s dance studio in Andes.
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The Valentine’s Day performance at the Corner Gallery continued this evolving dialogue, offering a refined yet spontaneous meditation on continuity and change. Hiratsuka’s role was both subtle and central. Moving slowly and deliberately, he pulled the pink string through the space, fastening it in place while the dancers responded in real time. Known internationally for his one continuous line carved into stone across sidewalks, boulders, and public spaces in 26 countries, Hiratsuka has long invited viewers to consider art as an ongoing act rather than a fixed object. Here, that philosophy was extended into live performance, where the act of making became inseparable from the act of witnessing. The soundscape, created by percussionist Michael Suchorsky, provided a vital emotionaland rhythmic anchor. Suchorsky, who spent many years as drummer for Lou Reed, drew from an expansive palette of percussive textures. His rhythms ranged from soft, meditative pulses to dynamic bursts of energy, weaving seamlessly with the dancers’ movements. The result was a cohesive performance in which sound, motion, and visual design became inseparable elements of a single unfolding narrative.
The modest size of the audience allowed the dancers to perform along the perimeter of the gallery, often just inches from those in attendance. This proximity heightened the emotional impact of the work, making each gesture feel personal and immediate. The closeness encouraged quiet attentiveness, as viewers followed the slow progression of the string and the evolving responses of the dancers.
As a free performance offered on Valentine’s Day, the event felt like a generous gift to the community, one that celebrated connection, vulnerability, and shared experience. In a world often marked by division and haste, the evening invited reflection and presence. Through the
simple act of drawing a line across a room and dancing around it, the artists revealed the complexity and beauty of human relationships, reminding all present that meaning is often found in the spaces between intention and improvisation.