R&D First period
The first period of research was conducted over four mornings in a small cabin studio on the edge of a wood in Devon.
The first two videos were shot using an old camera. By day three, we had realised that the work was exciting us, so we changed to a better quality camera.
The first two videos were shot using an old camera. By day three, we had realised that the work was exciting us, so we changed to a better quality camera.
Day One:
Themes:
Connection and disconnection.
Who is the self behind our social masks, and how might it be able to express itself?
Exercises:
Keeping a piece of spaghetti between two bodies as they move and then playing with that: thinking of classical statues, and the twists and turns of their sinews. This explores the connection between us.
Imagining that the body is encased in a warm, moist, resistant clay. Gradually, as one pushes against this clay, creating space, the clay becomes softer and softer. This explores a dynamic of movement, involving the whole body.
Improvisation:
We decided to set up lights and mirrors and to use a looping station for some text and a musical drone. The text was taken from the Tao Te Ching and from Rumi.
The improvisation explored ideas from the exercises, and used the lights and sound to play against/with.
Day Two:
Discussion:
We decided on a working method - we’d meet, drink coffee on porch whilst talking about ideas that have come up the day before, and then swap one exercise each and then improvise with those exercises in mind. We talked about two books; Bhagavad Gita and Natural Magic.
Exercises:
The first exercise was a development of the Spaghetti exercise from the previous day. This time, trying to get as far away as possible, but without being able to disconnect.
The second exercise was for one of us to stand with eyes closed, sensing the heat from the other’s hand, and eventually to follow that heat.
Improvisation:
Playing with light. One person moved the light around, whilst the other responded to it. Text on loop was from Waiting for Godot, and from the book, Natural Magic.
Day Three:
Discussion:
Ideas of connection - social, social-media, physical, quantum and political. There are many levels to play with, juxtaposing the mundane and the deeply profound: “if we are all holograms, whose going to get the shopping?”
Exercises:
First exercise was looking at planes of circles in body, moving the body from inside. Then taking that into movement, and passing the movement to others, who are bouncing, they copy and then take different centre to allow the movement to morph.
The second exercise was standing on stage, present, but not ‘doing’ anything. Holding a gaze into the distance. Then doing same, but this time holding eye contact, but without cutting off or imposing.
Improvisation:
Playing with a beam of light, and playing with themes of movement and stillness.
Day Four:
Discussion:
Quantum coupling, where two or more quantum states are bound such that a change in one of the quantum states in one of the systems will cause an instantaneous change in all of the bound systems.
Exercise:
With eyes closed, back pressing up against the wall. Feel the contact between the wall and the back. Start to take that awareness back beyond the wall, eventually reaching the edges of the universe. Walk around the space with that sense that every time you turn, half the universe turns with you.
Improvisation:
We drew a smiling face and a frowning face on paper, and stuck them two cardboard boxes. Separated by cloth, we changed the face of the box, and our body's expression every time a bell chimed on the looping station.