Threading Motion Project: From Image to Film

Over the past four weeks, my artistic focus has primarily fallen on my Threading Motion Project with Luminarium and the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell. I selected six quilts from the exhibit, tracked them down with the help of Silk! curator Pam Weeks, connected with each of the quilters behind these beautiful works of art, created imagery-based concepts to set on my dancers in the studio, and started to play.

Play I did, but within such a condensed time frame! Each piece took roughly two hours to create. In each one, I came in with visuals and emotions inspired by the quilts, but needed time to experiment at the beginning to learn for the first time how each of these quilts actually looked projected across my dancers. Some (like Cynthia Star) fell into place within moments--living and breathing on their own accord. Others (like Spinal) presented challenges I did not expect, but also allowed for new opportunities I never anticipated!

Somehow we managed to finish all six pieces within this brief rehearsal period, and spent exactly four consecutive hours on Saturday flying through them with professional cameras rolling.

A shot taken during this weekend's final run of Chasm.
Photo credit: Kim Holman

I have yet to see the footage, but from the little I saw peeking over Michael's shoulder on the screen, I think these will turn out exactly as hoped. (Note: "Hoped" rather than "planned," because what's the fun in creating new art if you can't embrace new directions your work takes you?)

Below are images of the six Quilt Vignettes, with final films to follow later this month:

Chasm
Quilt by Judith Content

Spinal
Quilt by Sonya Lee Barrington

Chinese Rose
Quilt by Diane Loomis

Cynthia Star
Quilt by Janet Elwin

Gilding the Arbor
Quilt by Bethanne Nemesh

Gingko
Quilt by Sonya Lee Barrington

...

Spinal
Quilt by Sonya Lee Barrington

Performance Info: 

Saturday April 20: Opening of Silk!
Luminarium will perform a 15-minute piece within the space at 2pm and 3pm.
(Visitors only have to pay the regular museum admission fees: Adults - $7; Seniors & Students with ID - $5; Children under 6 - free; Museum Members - free)

Saturday April 27: Silk! Symposium
Luminarium will perform its 15-minute piece to end the symposium day, at 4pm.
(The Symposium is $70-$85, but if guests wish to see just the performance, they can pay the regular museum admission fee at 3:30 to attend.)

(Quilt Vignettes will be played on loop during the entirety of the exhibit: April 18-July 7)