Friday 2 September – Opening night performance.
My space was prepared with a projector inside the doorway beaming onto the back wall. The picture from the CCTV camera on the outside of the room appears on the brown kraft paper on the back wall. I have prepared the paper, by stenciling a sign post from Schiedam and three bollards – registering the correct size in relation to the projected image was a complication I had not thought of before deciding on this idea.
The opening begins, and Sigal Weissbein performs with the Rijnmondband. I wait to start my drawing until people have started exploring the space – a brass band is not conducive to people looking at the other works.
I have written some rules for me to follow when I make my drawing:
->Pick up on one point of one person and follow:
->If that point is still then do not draw Wait.
->only finish drawing that point of movement of the person when the person exits my view.
->Use Grey ink and white pencil.
->Swap medium with every exit (alternate people)
->Draw for 45 minutes. Stop. Break.
->Draw for 45 minutes. End
My notes following the end of the performance:
Need to follow feet more
Interesting how exposure to dance made the work feel more of a dance especially when the ‘partner’ was aware that they were taking part.
Following hands encouraged people to move/interact more
Very biased to R.hand side of paper because of position of doorway.
My steps felt more dance like – especially use of ‘stalking walks’
One person (Marieke) drew a smiley face.
Some rules I broke:
Sometimes I ‘collected a different movement/person when they passed a point where I was still.
Sometimes I changed the person I was drawing because the surface does not allow the ink to bleed.
I also used black fibre tip pen to create more contrast
I swapped media when required – this was an aesthetic judgement.
I only drew for 25 minutes during the second period (the audience had moved to an outdoor performance.
I’m writing this account a few days after the event, although the notes I’ve shared above were written at the time. With a little distance from making this drawing, I can say that I was happy with how it went at the time – I think that I have made some improvements to the process in drawings number 2 and 3, building on previous works and methods. However, I like the result of working on the brown paper – I’ll do it again.
