NO EVIL

Ignorance=Fear,Silence=Death  Haring, 1989

As briefly mentioned within the introduction into Haring’s work, Haring featured many political and social commentaries within his work. This ranges from the election of President Ronald Reagan to a light hearted campaign ‘gays against facial hair’ (in which he is said to have stencilled this slogan upon buildings across New York).

Throughout his career Haring’s work featured issues such as the use of drugs, sex, life, death, pollution, war and the AIDS epidemic. 

Particularly after Haring’s diagnosis of the AIDS virus his work  built upon creating an awareness for the public to the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS. Working alongside ACT-UP the AIDS activism group, Haring created the slogan and logo “Ignorance = Fear, Silence = Death” (above) featuring three figures; one covering eyes, the second ears, and the third the mouth referring to the well known ancient Japanese proverb of the three wise monkeys who "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil". Within his interpretation of this ancient proverb Haring refers to Western culture's interpretation which widely is used as means of referring to those who may deal with evil or impropriety by not acknowledging it or feigning ignorance.
This same interpretation of the proverb of the three wise monkeys shall be used within the final film Radiant Baby Manifest through the exploration of semiotics.

The study of semiotics (or semiosis) is the science and theory of signs and symbolism and the analysis of systems of communication such as language and gestures,  Professor Gary Shank of  Duquesne University defines semiosis as the process of rendering our world as meaningful and significant (Shank, G., 1995).

Within this particular medium of dance the language used being a non-verbal form instantly falls into a question of interpretation and semantics. Therefore a clear, calculated methodology in creating movement vocabulary should be used in order to communicate clearly the intended theme of ignorance in relation to the proverb of the three wise monkeys.

Gestural movements featuring the dancers covering their eyes, ears and mouths for example create a strong image that holds clear relation to the proverb. However it shall be the movement surrounding these gestures that shall create force in interpreting the overall theme of the film. 

Whilst viewing dance and art the audience is enabled to make an informed interpretation of the contents or meaning of the work due to the display of vocabulary of the language used (whether this be textual or physical). This usually is displayed through the use of a repeated gesture/movement/word and through it's repetition becomes significant and holds stronger meaning. 

Within the choreography the motifs used in which dancers cover the eyes, ears and mouth shall be repeated and developed in order to hold the strong symbolism of the proverb of the three wise monkeys and Haring's Ignorance=Fear. 

Sources:

• figure1: Haring, K. 1989. Ignorance=Fear [Poster] Available at: http://www.haring.com/cgi-bin/art_lrg.cgi?date=1989&genre=Editions&id=00253  [Accessed 22 January 2011] 

EDIT EXPERIMENT

This short video is an experiment into the style of shooting and editing that will be shown within the final film. The section of the choreography displayed within this video (that shall be seen within the final film) was devised with specific camera angles in mind for particular movements. For example isolations of the head have two close-up camera framings, from contrasting angles in order to enhance that particular isolation of the body. This is done for other smaller, gestural movements including the flick of the hands, or peeling of the feet.

A brief guide into what angles the choreography should be shot from.

These particular gestures and isolations were shot individually, alongside the whole body of movement being filmed from a number of wide angles in its entirety. This was done as an experiment into what particular camera angles worked best for specific movements, this would be selected through the editing process and upon playback be decided which shots are to be used. 

This particular method of editing, although may have not been executed in the typical story-board and shoot way of filming was an interesting experiment into how the final film shall be shot, and a way of establishing what shooting and editing techniques shall be employed in the creating of the film.

The video has also been sped up, as means of experimenting and looking further into how added effects upon the footage can change the entire viewing and interpretation of the choreography, this not only changes the dynamics of the choreography alongside the quick edits but this also allows the movement to fit seamlessly with the accompaniment creating a driving yet interesting viewing. 

Author's Note

Apologies for the messy background within the video, this shall clearly not be the case within the final film- hopefully this doest distract you from viewing the choreography! 

What are your thoughts on the video? Do you find the choreography alongside the quick edits interesting to watch, or perhaps does this form of editing it too much to take in and possibly distracting from the choreography itself? Please feel free to post your thoughts below within the comments box.

Dancer: Samantha O'Reilly

MOVING

Whilst working through this project research into Haring's work has played a substantial role in the influence in the choreography itself (along side a number of elements within this project), due to the nature of Haring's strong geometric imagery it has been decided that this shall be reflected through the movement of the dancers. 

Within Henry Taylor Parker's review of Harald Kreutzberg and Yvonne Georgi's work commentary of the pair's innovative angular movement express the notion of beauty within the dance, and the way in which this desirability is pushed as so the previously conventional notion of beauty within dance is challenged.

"The modernist beauty is a mathematical beauty...geometrical rather than sensuous patterns. Like them or mislike them; find them ugliness or pleasure..." (Jowitt, 1989., pp. 153)

Kreutzberg and Georgi's work has been a huge influence on the choreography of this piece as the use of sharp, harsh movements alongside the complexity within the use of rhythmnis something that too is being used throughout the choreography of this film.

Although within today's contemporary dance community stands a broad spectrum of stylised movement, there are still certain aesthetics that may be subjectively viewed as either ugly or beautiful. 

Other choreographers that are also being used for inspiration to the movement vocabulary within the film include Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham and Richard Alston in their use of strong lines and use of the arms as well as other choreographers such as Matt Cady, Nigel Charnock and Ian Eastwood whilst looking at smaller  gestural movements.

Within the choreography of this dance film the ugliness or beauty of the movement is something that is looking to be challenged, as this shall be viewed by those who may be accustomed to viewing contemporary dance and those who may not be accustomed to modern dance language which may influence the way in which some viewers perceive the film as possibly grotesque or perhaps stunning.

This same outlook on the the movement vocabulary shall be maintained during the contrasting dynamic movement, as not only shall large, strong shaped be visible, but also smaller quirky gestures. This diverse nature of the vocabulary shall enable an overall visually challenging piece of choreography assisted by the use of variety in camera angles and edits.

One of the issues faced whilst choreographing specifically for the camera however includes the notion of the technology aided movements, including a re-arrangement of the choreographed movement phrases. This alone is an interesting experiement, but also has to be kept in mind whilst choreographing dance phrases as so they can be open to technological alteration.

The choreography to be shown within the film is currently being choreographed within small sections, each of these sections although stylistic have a clear link do not necessarily merge together to create a constant flowing movement phrase. This is due to post-production and further editing that shall take place in editing that movements creating a sporadic and non-conventional viewing of dance where in which movements may not necessarily move into one another but be completly separate in time and space.

Author's Note

I have chosen to work in two ways whilst choreographing; one being the conventional, choreographing a phrase of movement, but then watching it back on the dancers from a variety of angles to see which camera angle and framing would work best for a particular movement etc. The other being creating movement with specific camera framing in mind, which therefore allows precision when notating this onto a story-board and later whilst editing. I find both methods work well, however my preferred method would be the second as this gives me the immediate decision, and when it comes round to shooting shall hopefully result in a less time-consuming process in filming and of editing however this is found more difficult to do in terms of the big movements and jumps as it is more appropriate to use whilst  filming smaller gestural movements.

UNIFYING THE ARTS

"The Music, Dance, Theatre, and the Visual Arts, the forms of expression, the arts of hope. This is where I think I fit in." 

- Keith Haring (date unknown)

Each art form is now more commonly used as a commentary on the World that surrounds us, and the issues that as both individuals and collective we face rather than beautifying and self-worshipping.

As a youth Haring's daily paper-round exposed him to politics and other issues that graced the front pages of his local newspaper, this ultimately had an effect on him and the issues he chose to confront within his work.

Like Haring and his work, this project looks to everything as a possible source of inspiration particularly influence coming from a broadness of interest within the arts.

Haring performing 'neo-dada' poems at Club 57, NY (date unknown)

Haring used the idea of unifying the arts and experimented with this particularly within his time spent at 'Club 57' and later curating the rotating gallery at the 'Mudd Club'.

Club 57 and the Mudd Club were nightclubs in New York (opening the late 1970's-1980's) where artists, musicians and dancers came together to not only have a good time but also to showcase their work, and work together as artists. 

Haring regularly performed at the Wednesday night poetry readings and performed inside a false-television set and read his neo-dada poems and curated the Black Light Show in Club 57 and the Rotating Gallery at the Mudd Club.

Haring regularly put on shows with his friends (that were often completely surreal and obtuse) including a collaboration with dancer and choreographer Bill T Jones entitled "Long Distance" (performed at The Kitchen-another arts gallery/centre based in New York) in which Haring painted at the rear of the stage allowing the sounds of his paintbrush against his board to be the accompaniment for the dance.

The Mudd Club and Club 57 soon became a great fixture on the underground music, fashion, art and counter-culture scene, The Kitchen still continues to be an active Centre for video, music, dance, performance, film, and literature.

Bill T Jones & Keith Haring performing Long Distance at The Kitchen, NY (date unkown)

At the time when Haring was sharing his work with his friends at the Mudd Club, Haring was attending the School of Visual Arts in New York. Where he experimented with performance pieces and film.

Films included both Haring himself and his friends and family as the subjects. One of the most notable being his film (and later live performance) depicting Haring speaking in Morse Code (Title Unknown).

(Haring was later expelled from the School of Visual Arts for using the interior of an SVA building as a canvas for graffiti in a project with Jean-Michel Basquiat)

Author's Note

Haring naturally collaborated and explored various art forms, this is something that I aim to achieve through this project and hope to do this as seamlessly as he did.

Given Haring's work as an example I challenge anyone who questions that a merge or unity within the arts cannot be achieved.

Sources:

• information retrieved from haring.com and The Universe of Keith Haring., 2008. [DVD]

•  figure 1 & 2: Screen-captures taken from The Universe of Keith Haring., 2008. [DVD]

"...The thing I responded to most was [Christo's] belief that art could reach all kinds of people, as opposed to the traditional view, which has art as this elitist thing..."
-Keith Haring (Sheff, D., 1989)

Author's Note

Haring mentions Bulgarian artist Christo and the notion presented is that art should be for all people regardless of their class, religion or race. Although art as a whole is not seen to have this element of elitism that it once held, there remains the argument that throughout the contemporary world of art this age old debate of high-art hierarchy and is in fact not available to all, which simply may be down to accessibility (which some may not be able to travel to and perhaps pay to view). 

Within this project the use of the internet is used to it's great advantage where upon people from around the globe may view it and become involved in the creative process. Via a simple search engine query you may land yourself knee-deep in new-age art, where upon the definition of art does not end at paint on canvas, but in fact stretches into the realms of dance and performance art. The internet is a world-wide forum in which artists and creators alike may share their goals, ambitions and products and I believe is the perfect place to extinguish this elitism Haring once talked of.

CORNERED

As discussed previously the use of camera and edits within dance film allows the creation of something adverse from reality. This is epitomised within Michael Downing's 1997 film Cornered which has stylistically been the key influence and inspiration into the filming and editing planned to be explored within the up-coming film for this project.
Cornered, a fast-paced, high contrasted black and white film features a solo female performer dancing within a corner of a white-walled room. Clever camera angles and sharp edit choices create the illusion of a small box like shape in which the performer is trapped. Due to the combination of choreography, camera angles and edit style the film creates an interesting aesthetic - confusing and disorientating the viewer alongside the accompaniment of strange scratching sounds gives to the overall nature of the film a post-modern surrealism.

Due to copyright reasons an extract of Cornered may not be shown within this blog, however the influence for the film Cornered being the famous dance sequence from the 1951 film Royal Wedding featuring Fred Astaire is shown below depicting Astaire appearing to dance upon the ceiling and walls of the room in which he is located.

Source:

• Video: SneakyGuy55, 2011. Fred Astaire - Royal Wedding (1951) - The Famous "Ceiling" Dance. [video online] Available at: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GNGDe4uNjQ> [Accessed 30 April 2011]

MONOCHROME IDEAS

As this project was initiated and inspired by a specific, graphically visual photograph the overall aesthetics of the film - particularly the set and costume design are extremely important to the overall viewing and success in demonstrating Haring's artistic influence upon the film.

As previously stated the initial proposal for this module consisted of a live performance rather than film, therefore plans into translating the imagery shown within the Leibovitz portrait onto stage were formed. 

 initial set & costume design for live performance

Many plans were made into creating a Haring-esque imagery including body-paint (as displayed by Haring within the original photograph of reference), however this was deemed impractical due to any transference of paint within the performance space creating mess or damage. Another plan consisted of a projected graphic design on to the entire space, immersing both the dancers and performance space within the same design allowing the performers to 'blend' into the space. This although a valid idea, has the downfall of creating excess shadow within the space, allowing distortion of the graphic image and the viewing of the choreography. This may be some what distracting for the audience and equally creates complication with any stage lighting.

Taking each of these aspects into consideration, the decided form of creating an effective translation of Haring's imagery onto stage was formed of a painted Cyclorama with a Haring-esque design accompanied by each of the performers in a similarly painted unitards (as depicted within the sketches above).

This idea was heavily influenced by the costume used regularly by Merce Cunningham within many of his works, and by the costume worn by Rihanna within the Rude Boy music video, as this is not only visually justifiable and interesting within the context of a Haring inspired performance, but also practical by allowing performers to move freely whilst displaying the alignment of the body and shapes/forms within the choreography.

As this Project has developed dramatically from stage to film after the original plans into the set and costume design were made, these were adapted to be used within a film setting. 

frame structure-canvas stretched over frame-hand painted Haring design on canvas (to be repeated x4)

x3 possibilities of arranging frames in order to vary set during filming (more possibilities available)

The same basic structure of the design remains, however rather than creating a flat cyclorama, a four-panel set will be created in order for an inter-changeable set to form.

Using this structure the combination of the four separate panels may be used to form a flat back-drop, alongside an open box-like structure where upon the angles and corners of the set may be changed dependent on the desired framing of shot.  This structure will allow the overall aesthetics of the film to fulfill the disorientating element previously discusses as with the combination of the editing process the set shall appear to be a entire room surrounding the dancers with interchanging angles and space.

Author's Note

The set is currently being built, and at a later date I shall be able to explain and display the processes undertaken in creating the set & costume for the film for you. I feel this to be a absolutely vital element of the overall aesthetics of the film and is a big part in visually drawing a link between Haring's work and my own.

WHY FILM?

The initial intentions for this project within the FYP module began as the conventional live performance within a traditional theatre space, followed by a viva ( spoken presentation/interview on the subject of the performance and methodologies used in creating the choreography).

However due to the choreographer's prior enjoyment during the experience of creating a dance for the camera film (within the Dance for The Camera module as part of the Choreography & Dance course), alongside thier personal interest into cinematography and film work it became a clear decision that the choreographer's final work at University should show this in combination with their choreography.
Dance for the Camera, or Dance Film is a widely acknowledged form of dance performance, as over the development of technology choreographers have looked to new and different ways of showcasing their choreography. Many choreographers and collectives from Merce Cunningham to DV8 Physical Theatre have used them medium of film to explore new pathways in producing work, not only as a creative outlet but also in distributing their works globally.
This has become an increasingly popular way of publishing new productions and up-and-coming choreographers as due to the growth of the internet and video-sharing websites such as YouTube and Vimeo serve as a database for film and dance film alike as any number of persons may upload a video. Within the context of dance video this ranges from recordings of live performance, documentaries, workshop footage and fully produced dance films.
Through the form of video-sharing website the work produced for this module may be viewed by a number of people located across the globe, opening not only the work of the choreographer to a wider audience, but also introducing the works of Haring and contemporary dance film to a wider audience emphasizing Haring's work in introducing art to the masses.

The choreographer for the film Radiant Baby Manifest is also the sole director and editor of the film, this allows complete creative control which alone shall generate a different viewing experience as each of these elements are gleaned from the same creative source, allowing a unified vision for the film as not only is the choreographer enabled to form the structure of the dance, but also in the choreography of the camera and in the editing of the film.
This form of dance for the camera as apposed to live dance performance (or a standard recording of live performance) allows the choreographer great control as to what the audience is viewing, whether the entire movement is exposed or if a certain camera angle/edit choice dictates that only one element of the dancer's body shall be viewed.

"...it meddles with the accepted reality of the human body in relation to the world as it offers something more slippery, more magical." 

(Jowitt, 1989., pp156)

Author's Note

I hope that by allowing any person who wishes to read this blog and view the film I will have enabled this notion set by Haring's work ethic of 'art for all' to be opened into the dance community. Why not take this opportunity whilst at University to create something different?