SYMMETRY – ASYMMTERY – IMMERSION = S A I
In more recent years, I have been blessed to work in collaboration with several gifted artisans, across a variety of creative disciplines. Associations in a collective capacity, continue to be rich, fulfilling and enjoyable experiences.
Back in 2020 and seeking to fully explore model Katy Wood’s skills set as a contemporary movement artist, we discussed the idea of her creating a dance piece, interpreting three of the key ‘pivotal points’ which drive my practice: order – flow – surrender. The result was KOTO, a mesmerising two-minute work, presented in silence at the Fleeting World exhibition held in Brisbane towards the end of COVID.
Katy’s KOTO performance, served to announce and demonstrate a natural extension to my artwork processes and production. We agreed to examine the piece, with a view to making a video, primarily as a reference source, with still images lifted from the footage. In addition, the thought of having video, along with live performance, as integral components of future exhibitions, was gaining momentum.
As preparation, Katy advanced the structure and content of KOTO. The existing three distinct movements were retained and further ‘tuned’. These revised interpretations demanded a change of titling, which Katy suggested should now read: symmetry – asymmetry – immersion; monikers which more accurately gave clarity to the content for expressive video performance.
To further assist Katy in her preparation, Greville Patterson was invited to commence the design of the video, initially tasked with composing music to complement each movement. From the outset, Grev’s early explorations carried the three movements’ initials: “S-A-I”. These characters were immediately adopted as the title for the piece!
Erik Williamson videoed Katy’s performance against a green screen, with the final take of nine employed in its entirety, unedited. The video capturewas then passed through to Grev, for him to add the visual and sound layering and textures. These included graphics, drawn components and typography, with the whole process quite organic in its creation. Featured above, SAI exceeds all expectations, and delights with each viewing!
To my mind, SAI has an ethereal quality which continues to inspire, and since its completion, has been a regular feature in exhibitions. Towards the conclusion of the footage, Grev introduced abstracted and subtracted visual and sound elements, indicating the sense of a fourth movement, which is perhaps a signifier for a future direction for my practice?!
Enjoy it here: