Creating a Body of Work

I'm currently collaborating with Kitty Clark and Colleen Tracy on a dance/multimedia work called Mood House. Mood House is a multi-disciplinary performance for proscenium stage that will premiere in April 2010 at Shepherd University and at Berkeley Springs High School auditorium. It will include original choreography (Kitty), ‘artfits’ (Colleen) and video projections(Me). This project is funded by the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.

We're organizing our thoughts on a wiki... everything from what the house layout will be, to documenting our influences. I'm not sure how well this will work. Colleen and Kitty are traditional artists in that they work with physical assets. Things like bodies and fabric and movement. Contact on the wiki goes in fits and spurts. I can't know if this simply reflects our progress on the work as a whole, or if it is reflecting the awkwardness of translating a process for the first time onto an online workspace.

Looking for inspiration, last night I spent a lot of time revisiting the music video work of Spike Jones and Michel Gondry. The latter is my absolute favorite. The video he did for the Chemical Brothers' Let Forever Be achieved a beautiful blend of music, dance, sculptural objects and video integration. I'm hoping to create a similar spirit for Mood House.


While watching exceptional work inspires me, last night I was also filled with a deep sense of sadness. Will I find the time to make an artistic work? I look at some of my old friends and see they have created meaningful pieces. I have spent my time making commercial efforts... not the things that will stand the test of time I'm afraid. My entry into the academic world will hopefully support my aspirations.