Drawing and Performance
In this workshop the students were introduced to Kazuo Shigara – a founder of the Japanese Gutai Group 1954 – 1972 and the contemporary performance duo Marie Cool and Fabio Balducci.
These two artists are polarised in approach, time, culture and geographical location but their work shares an interest in recording action, gesture and movement made by the human body, the artists own body.
The two artists present extreme approaches; one very expansive, messy, expressive, gestural, spectacular and the other very controlled, minimal, clean, paired down and precise.
Both artists actions are carefully conceived and choreographed, even though one might look more choreographed than the other.
Both artists draw on, intercept and contribute to the history and trajectory of art.
Both artists reflect the social, cultural and political context within which they were made.
Both artists’ performances are ephemeral, durational and temporal.
Both artists’ works are made live to/for a public audience
After an introduction to the artists work via a presentation the students were asked to work through a series of step by step warm up exercises in which they were allowed to only use one colour of their choice, their fingers, hands, arms and 2 objects – a metal spoon and a plastic golf ball. During these exercises they were asked to consider, find and play with an energy and approach that resided somewhere between the two artists works and approaches; expressive and gestural and considered and precise. They were also asked to situate themselves somewhere between comfortable and challenging, safe and exploratory, familiar and unfamiliar. The students were then asked to select one or two of the actions that they had explored during the warm up exercises and to choreograph, refine and stage a one minute performance. The workshop concluded with each student presenting their performances.
