A Patchwork of Video and Sound

DreamD is a video constructed much like a crazy quilt from snippets of this and that, merging pattern and sound to create a new whole. I've often found when staging performances that the changing light and intense amount of movement make producing videos that accurately document the experience difficult to realize. In DreamD I've taken some performance video that really didn't seem to work for me and re-shot it as it played on my television, zooming in and out to get various textures and vantage points quite different from the original work. Afterward it was taken apart and reassembled to go with a vintage analog piece of mine transferred complete with tape hiss from cassette to MP3 as the audio track. The music consists of voice and synthesizer with a sound program that I wrote according to some numerical sequences selected through a rather esoteric system I had devised at the time (and no longer recall!). All performance, video, music and vocals are mine with rather abstract guest appearances by fellow artists Arturo Alonzo Sandoval and Jeff Underwood. The original abstract projections or "projection paintings" visible in some segments are the work of the late abstract expressionist sculptor Ibram Lassaw and were used with his kind permission and personal advice for my 1992 performance "An Abstracted Life."

Enchanted April

Spring has been really lovely here in France and was a magical first experience for me of March and April in this country. My recent travels have taken me from intense heat one day to a high elevation blizzard in the glorious Alps, back to picnics beside the turquoise waters of southern rivers in short sleeves and finally to the west coast again. On the drive across the country it seemed there was a wonderfully romantic looking castle ruin on every hilltop and I wish I could have stopped to photograph all of them! As it stands I have an alarming number of interesting photos I want to share with you--- but they will have to wait for a bit of sorting and selecting---soon, I promise! Meanwhile I'd like to show you what else I've been doing with my time besides snapping pix.
A sampling of cut paper shadow puppets for upcoming performance works...

Another sort of  puppet---a hand held rod version in process--with recycled newsprint papier mache head, faux fur hair and the beginning of rag wrapping to give her body and arms shape. I wasn't initially certain how I felt about creating a more standard, doll like face than my usually fantasy, but it seems to be called for in the particular production for which it is destined. I think the clothes and final touches will help to make her more memorable. To give you some idea of the proportions, the head and neck measure 15 centimeters. Below her are three older creations in my more "normal" fantasy style for comparison.

               And a lovely, merry month of May to all from my house of faes...until next we meet!!!