Sometimes We Look – Touring Wales 17th-30th November with Catherine Bennett, Rosalind Brooks, Belinda Neave .
The idea for Sometimes We Look first came about whilst trying to notate choreography. Words made no sense but attempting to draw the movement seemed to convey more about the look and the feel of the piece than any sentence could. When I looked at these drawings sometime later I realised that ‘new choreography’ was emerging. Some of my drawings were physically impossible to mimic but the attempt to morph my body into shapes became an enjoyable, if sometimes painful, challenge.
I gave Belinda the task of interpreting the more literal drawings and a series of floor maps. These range from Oskar Shlemmer designs to maps of different cities. Belinda’s precision and attention to detail really brought a new life to these drawings as if they are creeping up through her body.
In the past I have used the work of other artists as a starting point to create a piece of movement. Paula Rego, Joel-Peter Witkin, Sue Williams and for this piece Dorothea Tanning’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, which Roz has brought to life so beautifully. The other artist I should mention is Louise Bourgeois whose words “I do, I undo, I redo” have been used as a form of inspiration in this show.
The drawings I gave Catherine were very dynamic. They originated whilst drawing Tanja Ramon, so in a sense Catherine starting point has derived from Tanja’s traces. The detail is in the fine lines that criss cross and sometimes hide behind the bolder lines. But without these more subtle lines the stronger ones would have less power and weight.
The Mark Making does exactly as it sounds….movement triggering off drawing. Drawing leading to movement….A battle at times between the right hand and the left. Images and figures appear out of the struggle
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The sound track to the work is an eclectic mix of favourite tracks and sound bites from compilations CD’s that my friend Rex has given me over the years for my birthday. I’ve also been inspired by listening to the radio whilst working and finding that the track being played offers a new dynamic to the movement. Music is the third dimension to the show and some of the sounds of drawing are used to echo the process.
The show is a live exhibition and I hope the audience will move around the space to see the artwork and the performances as they emerge. The tour opens in Swansea on 17th November in the Volcano Space at 229 High Street. I’m looking forward to the challenge of mounting this performance and exhibition there and seeing it develop over the week. There are three performances in Swansea before heading to Chapter in Cardiff and another space for 24th – 26th and then up to the round intimate studio space at Aberystwyth Arts Centre, before a trip to Battersea Arts Centre on 3rd December for a completely new experience with the show.
Marega
Full details are available on http://www.mrandmrsclark.co.uk