The process began with experiments with moving and not marking – first in a day light lit studio space – then in a domestic space – then in a lit AV studio. I was experimenting with extension in standing – then soft extension in moving and relating to an object. The object relating reminded me of Winnicot’s work – and I combined this thinking with my Alexander hands – I worked both with my alexander teacher and with the video and photography technicians to play with movement in performance and different ways of capturing movement – initially as documentation then as work in itself. As I worked more ideas about soft extension and extension as release and letting go emerged as I said hello and goodbye to the objects each time . The choice of balls arose from childhood recollections and re-connections in my academic reading and my looking. The lacrosse ball was ordered on line from a specialist company and was exactly like the ones I played with as girl – soft and hard at the same time. The orange wool was left over from making my new baby granddaughters first blanket. All kind of hellos and goodbyes implicit here – I began to think more about extension as both new hellos and some goodbyes – and related it to my own transitions having retired from a 30 year career last year and become a grandparent.
