Dance Calligraphy
I filled pages and pages of these scribbles at Modern Dance Performances I’ve been to in the last year. I am in the dark, I don’t see what I am drawing, I try and capture all the movement I see on stage with the pen never leaving the paper. I am usually surprised myself when they turn the lights back up and see what I drew. It feels like some sort of short hand dance calligraphy. When I took these photos another interesting element added itself, the out of focus lines turned dimensional, as if wire lifting from the page! Very strange … like it though. I am curious to hear your thoughts on these.
You can see a flickr gallery with ten of these photos here.
October 5th, 2006 at 11:49 am
E-Kun,
These drawings are incredible. It is high up there in the work that I have seen from you. Just amazing and very fluid.
cK
October 5th, 2006 at 2:03 pm
wowee. so cool. i love the way they come alive in the out of focus parts of the photos. neat-0 and i mean it!
October 5th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
These are gorgeous! I’d really like to see them in a gallery setting. The photos give them a kind of surreal quality.
October 5th, 2006 at 2:53 pm
That is awesome…it could be framed!
October 5th, 2006 at 7:41 pm
These are beautiful. Were you using the page as sort of a stage or drawing the movements in a line back and forth across the page regardless of stage position? Just curious. Thanks.
October 5th, 2006 at 7:51 pm
wow…
these are fantastic. the lines have a life of their own….remember the squiggle from ‘ the dot and the line’ ..oh man..i am equally excited seeing these pages…
beautiful enrico.
best regards
October 5th, 2006 at 9:02 pm
Amazing sketches for being in the dark! The photos give them a really interesting quality too.
October 6th, 2006 at 7:41 am
sei un fottuto genio! darei un braccio per disegnare così!! quello che non tiene la penna ovvio…
english translation: very very nice sketches!
October 6th, 2006 at 10:11 am
cK, Jenny, Amelia, Robin joseph, Alisa - thanks so much! glad you like them.
Clio- Thanks, I’ve been considering showing them at Nucleus … maybe some photos and some original pages … we’ll see if they make the cut …
Katie- I mostly just fill lines … really as if I am writing calligraphy … trying to capture all the different things going on on the stage …
Strongmotion- eh eh … grazie, “fottuto genio” e’ la prima volta che lo sento … I love the translation.
e
October 7th, 2006 at 4:18 am
Fantastic! I’ve done this too - also with variations of the deuling artist (where you only look at your partner, no looking at paper) - but mine are nothing compared to yours!
October 7th, 2006 at 10:18 am
Very interesting, I like the ideea of drawing the movement on the stage and you’ve done a great job, the drawings are alive!
October 9th, 2006 at 12:28 pm
NEATO!! These reminded me of Frank Gehry’s architecture concept art sketches!!
October 9th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
i’d love to see those pulled apart and filmed in sequence.
great stuff all around.
October 10th, 2006 at 7:47 am
great research! i always have the same thoughts when i try sketching people while they’re moving.
and experimenting this with dance is amazing.
October 12th, 2006 at 12:17 am
Really dig the style and the photos as well…even if the out of focus was a happy mistake :), the combination of the free flowing lines and the blur make it feel like there is movement there. Keep it up.
October 12th, 2006 at 2:10 pm
wow. beautiful and such a fun idea. i might try this sometime but I’m sure my result would never be this stunning.
October 12th, 2006 at 6:13 pm
I really the dancers’ movement strung all together without breaks… just like in real life!
October 17th, 2006 at 1:46 pm
David, KTor, weno, ryan mcdougal, Anonymous, Karen- thanks so much for your comments, I appreciate you leaving feedback !
Alina- I am gonna look them up, sounds interesting, I always love architect’s sketches.
Chris fason- I’d like to do that one of these days, it would be interesting indeed.
Just got back from NYC and did a bunch more of these at a couple of performances. It’s been fun …
will post some more soon.
Enrico
October 18th, 2006 at 9:30 am
As usual your work is amazing/inspiring. Great stuff Enrico.
October 26th, 2006 at 10:51 pm
These drawings are packed with feelings.
I have been wondering for a long time about the possibility of connecting the act of drawing with a live performance art (concert/dance/orchestra).
I think these drawings are quite successful in conveying an energy, but Im not sure if I would feel the same way if you hadn’t mentioned the context.
Food for thought.
October 31st, 2006 at 4:23 am
E, very nice, the depth added by the focus is a great find. I once applied exactly the same process of drawing by a warm wood fire, flames dancing… let’s say the result was experimental, at best
yours at least look good!
October 31st, 2006 at 4:24 pm
Mr Scribbles- thanks!
Felix Lim- thanks for your thoughts … good points … The photos certainly make them stand out to begin with … but you’re right, the context of how I do these makes it more interesting … would they strike us only as scribbles without context ? maybe …
laurent b- thanks Laurent, glad you liked these … interesting that you did something similar … photos of drawing … there’s something there …
e