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| drawing and performance by Eleanor Clare, photographed by Maria Øy Lojo |
Phoenix:
The Carnival of Dreams shown at Prøverommet, Bergen Kjøtt Dec. 1st. This performance
was part of a work in progress, the development of which is supported
by BEK.
Drawing
from the imagination could be described as the most basic means to express
creativity. The core driving force is the desire to make real the imaginary
beings which may only appear in the periphery of vision. Connected to this is
the cycle of creation and destruction that forms the inevitable pattern of the
creative process. Traditionally the Phoenix is male, but here it is female. The
life cycle of the Phoenix can be paralleled with the phases of woman’s
existence - from young maiden to old crone. Both painting and performance are
used to call up the spirit of this beast.
Using
a combination of vocals, delay and feedback, a series of bird noises are heard
in the space. At first they are pure and
acoustic, becoming progressively more distorted. At a certain point only the
delay and feedback can be heard. The piece was performed in a costume made
of shredded plastic sheeting, which floats and rustles like feathers. As the
noises “take off” and sustain a life of their own through delay and feedback, the Phoenix begins to move.
