Tracing Shadows is a solo movement performance that presents a physical struggle between the female body and a blue dress. The work explores the idea of femininity as a construct, as something that is made, fabricated then imposed on the body. In the performance the body twists and strains in an attempt to fit into an impossibly small dress. The performance is based on a short story entitled The Girl and The Blue Dress, written by the artist whilst studying creative writing with Professor Marina Warner. In the story a young girl struggles with an enchanted blue dress that steals her voice, sews itself to her skin and takes over her body and movement.
The performance was originally conceived for a theatre space and utilises projections, pulleys, carefully calibrated lighting and sound effects to create a fairytale world that combines the seductive and destructive, the childlike and the adult, desire, and the artificiality of desire.
Tracing Shadows was developed with the support of the Artsadmin Bursary Scheme and was commissioned by Chelsea Theatre for The Sacred Season 2006-2007. The performance toured the UK 2007-2008 to venues & festivals including The National Review of Live Art Glasgow, Experimentica Chapter Arts Centre Cardiff and The Royal Opera House London. In March 2011 a reworking of Tracing Shadows was presented at Jerome Zodo Contemporary in Milan as part of Displacements a solo exhibition of the artist’s work.
Press Quotes:
‘pure genius.’ Run Riot
'eerie, compelling, and haunting.' RealTime Arts Magazine
‘hallucinatory and uncompromising with powerful contemporary resonance’ Marina Warner
‘I want to see more of this artist’s work!’ Total Theatre Magazine
‘…surreal, striking and intense, original work by a superb performer.’ The Stage |
