Re: hand drawn spaces

Tara Olivero (Tara.Olivero@Rollins.Edu)
Wed, 29 Jul 1998 09:51:30 -0400

Johannes Birringer wrote:
>
> Thanks for your wonderful report, Tara.
> you wrote
>
> >I saw the 'Hand-Drawn Spaces' virtual performance this past week
> >at the Siggraph conference in Orlando....
> >'Hand-Drawn Spaces' was shown in the electronic theatre. It was designed
> >to be displayed upon three separate projection screens.
>
> Could you tell us how this electronic theatre looked, how were the three screens
> placed? Next to each other at the back of stage (film theatre?). How much
> negative space in-between? Why was the piece titled "hand-drawn SPACES?"

The electronic theatre was theatre style performance space witha large
screen in front and two additional screens on each side (approx. 10-20
feet from center screen and angled in at 45 degrees). I suppose the
piece was titled 'Hand-Drawn Spaces' because the figures were actually
hand-drawn charcoal sketches that were replicated in the computer (each
stroke that is!)--very lovely--these transparent 3-D figures enabled the
the viewer to see gestures of the human body versus actual structure.

> How was the audience response or response during the discussion? Did Merce
> indicate that he was doing more of this animation work now (making it easier to
> travel work without dancers?). Were any of the dancers present to comment?
> just wondering.
>
The audience response was awesome, everyone seemed really excited.
There were many people there interested in this project. Merce did not
indicate he was doing more animation currently. Someone did ask him how
this process has affected his choreography, he said it has only shown
him more possibilities; which have existed all along. It was really
great to see him there. None of the dancers were there. They did show
slides of the motion capture process.