In actuality the most interesting quote from the Cathy Rose lecture was when she spoke about her teaching practices and grants. “ Grants are good to force articulation” she then spoke about how she asks her students to write research papers on themselves instead of other artists. I have recently found that writing formally about my work is a pivotal tool, and since have put more emphasis on the creation of an artist statement. I often have several drafts that coincide with the many changes as my concepts changes. I find that writing about your own work creates a conversation with yourself about what you are doing while researching others creates a discussion between their work and your work, it creates a different feedback loop.
The most important element in Rose’s work is movement. It is present in many layers in all of her work from her own body, setting, facial expression, etc. It is the interaction of the movement in each of these elements that creates the dynamic spiritual space. In video, the backgrounds movement range from static black to ink swirling to full on psychadelic worlds that spill into the real world. Arms, that are often detached, are a constant slithering or rapidly jumping like rabbits at times becoming an abstract background of flowing underwater plants. She composes heads snapping to attention or bobble on a nonexistent axis as they are either detached or superimposed against the figure, at time having lives of their own. The amount of movement increases as Rose progressed through her many performances. In the beginning it was simply comprised of one projection of animation and her body interacting in front of the canvas if her body was not the canvas itself. The backdrops became more predominant over time often obscuring her, but still it was only one layer of projection and veil. Eventually her movements become limited, and multiple veils with complex projections take over. The multiple veils create different depth even though it is the same image creating a feeling of layers. She places herself between these layers holding an illuminated mask.
I did not previously know about the influence of Butoh on her work. As I watched her work, I found it obvious she had been influenced by Southern or Eastern Asian dance, but couldn’t place it. She spoke of how it influenced her dance, especially her emphasis on the movement of her head and hands. She follows the Butoh characteristic of super slow moments that accentuates what emotion or issue its projecting as well as the awkward often grotesque positions and stances that make the dancer often look broken and pained like those of the possessed. The use of extreme facial expressions also follows principle of Butoh.
No one work stood out in particular, but her performance held more meaning than the videos. Performance seems to be where she started and the inspiration for a lot of her other work. Her videos have the feel of being an afterthought. Though she is able to create her own world, she takes this power too far, and she loses what originally caught my eye, which was her physical presence and dynamic of her moving body interacting with the movement of the installation.
No comments:
Post a Comment