Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Conversations with Linda - Dec 2015 thru Jan 2016

 DEAR READER ...
Please bear with me on this post!
Blogger can be very tempremental in regards to size & spacing of letters at the best of times - & this post is a stream of copy-&-pastes from documents & e-mails - so it has behaved quite erratically!
Please just keep scrolling & reading all the way to the end as best you can! - Thank you.


Conversations with Linda – Dec 18th 2015 thru Jan 2016

LMM = Linda Mary Montano
CEB = Claire Elizabeth Barratt




CEB - Dec 18th


Dear Linda,

I’d like to share some recent Body Studies studio work with you.

I have been taking the gestures from my interactions with environmental raw materials over the past few months & developing motifs for use in live performance.

Below are video links for SIX studio sessions:

Body Falling / Falling Body: (gestures & motifs from “wheat” - Nottinghamshire)

date – November 16 2015




Body Basking / Basking Body: (gestures & motifs from “sand” - Berlin)

date - November 21 2015




Body Mountain Gestures: (gestures & motifs from “mountains” - Southern Appalachia)

date – December 6 2015




Body Spinning / Spinning Body: (gestures & motifs from “autumn leaves” - Southern Appalachia)

date – December 10 2015




Body Hay Bale Gestures: (gestures & motifs from “hay bales” - Nottinghamshire)

date – December 11 2015




Body Melting / Melting Body: (movement theme exploration)

date – December 11 2015




All recorded at Weaverville Yoga studio NC



LMM


DEAR CLAIRE LEASE  CC TO YOUR ADVISOR SO WE ARE ALL ON SAME  PAGE


1.I FIND THIS  EXCITING AND THE “BEST” USE OF UR ORIGINAL RESEARCH THAT I HAVE SEEN

2. U R REALLY ONTO SOMETHIGN HERE

3. THEY COULD BE  A 2 CHANNEL VIDEO  OR  A PROJECTION OF THE ORIGINAL SOURCE  AS  U “MOVE-DANCE” ?????

HOW R YOU SEEING THIS RESULTING?

4. SOME R REALLYYYYYYYYYYYY STRONG , SOME NOT

5. MY TAKE IS  DONT TOUCH SPINNING.. PERFECT AND WONDERFUL

6. FALLING IS  “DANGEROUS” LOOKING BUT FABULOUS  BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT  U DONT NEED TO SHOW GOING ON THE GROUND AT  6 MINUTES IN. SPOILS THE FEEL

7. U CAN LOOP  THE ONES U LIKE AND LET GO OF OTHERS OR REDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THE ONES THAT R NOT AS STRONG??

8BODY MELTING  DONT SHOW FLOOR

9. HAYBALE IS TOO STICKISH

10 MOUNTAIANS,  I DONTFEEL THIS PONE AT  ALL.  AND AM NOT  WANTING TO HEAR  “SOUNDS”

11 U KNOW THAT THERE IS A  “CHEAP” CAMERA  SOUND  ALONG WITH UR SOUNDS AS U MOVE  WHICH I ACTUALLY LIKE..  IT MAKE IT FEEL VERY AUTHENTIC AND DATED...LIKE SOME OF THE WORK FOR  FROM THE 70’S...AND THAT LEADS ME TO ADD

12. DO U CARE THAT IT LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE THE 70”S??/I LIKE IT.  BUT MAYBE HAVING A S  DOUBLE SCREEN WIOUTL  “FIX THAT”  IF THAT IS A N ISSUE FOR U

13. KEEP IT UP



CEB


Thank you Linda ...... I will give all this some thought.

I DO actually like the 70s feel! ........ it came about unintentionally, but i do like it.

Laura is away on vacation at the moment ..... but I’ll forward this once she gets back.

at the moment I’m doing a series of live performances using some of this material.

it’s part of an annual winter dance concert in an old church in Knoxville TN

... it’s an intimate, informal setting - so it’s a good place to see what evolves ...
 

winter break catch-up

CEB - Jan 19th
dear linda ...
i’m going to spend the next couple of weeks of the winter break looking at the work i’ve done so far last semester - looking at your comments plus the feedback from the residency etc & editing the work.
... i’d like to send you things as i’m working on them so you know where i’m at with it all ......
warm wishes for cold days!
 

LMM
Claire  I wd also like to see the feedback in very haiku condensed  form

yes  send as  u  do
 

CEB
haikus .... that sounds like an interesting challenge!
i will send you some of the videos from the performances i did in knoxville TN in december.
they were part of an annual winter concert called “Modern Dance Primitive Light” presented by Circle Modern Dance.
this was the dance company i was a co-founder & co-director of for ten years & are having their 25th anniversary year.
i presented a live-performance version of RAW-(Material) - using gestures, motifs & sounds originating from my interactions with nature & then developed in the studio.
there were six performances (two a night for three nights) - but i will just send you a couple of them.

this video was from the late-night friday show -
... for this particular show there was a smaller audience - so i decided to experiment with setting up the performance itself as a “selfie” video shoot ..........

RAW-(Material) at Modern Dance Primitive Light - Fri Dec 18th - 9pm show
https://youtu.be/8GkUloUe4ek
 

LMM
was this from transastrt  am confused

I like the selfie aspect  a lot

and ur different “moods”

and dragging the camera

very nice effect

what abt transasrt

CEB

this was from the show i did with my old dance company - Circle Modern Dance - in December in Knoxville TN

... it is still part of the MFA project “RAW-(Material)” - using the gestures I have been developing through my interactions with nature.


RE TRANSART WINTER RESIDENCY

i did a performance there - but I’m still waiting for people to send me the documentation



LMM - to Ladan, Omayra & Myself after TI winter residency - Jan 20th


1. THANKS TO THE THREE OF U FOR BEING ME. I HOPE IT WAS FUN AND GOOD..................

2. FOR ALL THREE OF U I NEED

A. A SHORT WRITE UP OF WHAT U PRESENTED AT TRANSART NY

B. HOW U FELT ABOUT WHAT U DID

C. HOW THEY FELT ABOUT WHAT U DID

D. WHAT WILL U CHANGE OR NOT CHANGE ABT WHAT U DO

THANKS VERY MUCH

IF SKYPE OR A CALL IS BETTER FOR U DO THAT

I GO TO BED AT  7PM

845 399 2502

IN ART=LIFE


CEB

Hello Lindas!
I’m replying to all because it might be useful to cross-reference a bit, as we all saw each others presentations.
I presented the chronology of my “RAW-(Material)” journal so far ...
showing excerpts of videos, images, sound pieces & text from my Nature Studies & Body Studies in Berlin, Nottinghamshire UK & Southern Appalachia.
I wrote a connecting narrative to make my journey comprehensive to my audience.
Even though I had practiced the presentation several times - once I was doing it for my peers, it took so much more time than by myself ... so I wasn’t able to receive as much feedback as I would have liked.
... I’m about to go through all my notes for details of people’s responses  - but the general response seemed to be encouraging me that I was on a good path ... but to push even deeper into possibilities & to be ruthless in my editing process.
Ladan & Omayra were both much more clear & concise in their presentations!!!
C*
 

LMM - Jan 22nd
 
to share with ur  ADVISOR ALSO

CLAIRE:

im glad u got the info to editttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

u give  MUCH more than u need to give

i have been saying this for a long time with uuuuuuuuuu

lessssssssssssssssssssss  isssssssssss moreeeeeeeeeeeee

good

u will breathe easier when u feel the work and not just  doooooooooooooooooooo the workkkkkkkkkkk
 

CEB

haha ... yes ..... it’s a reaction to being accused of being lazy when i was young!
so now i never feel like i’m working hard enough or doing enough!
... breathing easier is good
 

LMM

CLAIRE AND ADVISOR

so funny

nowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww  u know  whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

PLEASE  UNDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

LINDA

 
 
CEB

on the other hand .... some feedback i received was that it was a good thing to just keep working, making, creating as much as possible - because:

“The only rule is work. If you work it will lead to something. It’s the people who do all of the work all the time who eventually catch on to things.” - corita kent

 LMM

sure


true

u will know 

now u have both opinions

don’t stoip prematurely buttttttttttttttt   remember thatas  a child u didn’t want to appear  lazy

that has  made u possibly OVERDO


CEB

yes ... it is important for me to examine where the motivation is coming from

 


CEB - Jan 24th 

Linda - I’m thinking more about the “doing” / “being” thing ..... (working vs. feeling etc.)
there is a joke that goes something like:
Western philosophy is all “DO DO DO”
Eastern philosophy is all “BE BE BE”
& Frank Sinatra is all “doo-be doo-be doo-be doo-be doooo”
I think that’s funny ......... but I think maybe Frank’s got the right idea - it’s all about the balance of doing & being - & what’s necessary/appropriate when.
I feel that - with my work - I have to DO a lot of hard work to set something in motion ..... but then, once I’m inside it, then I can just BE ... I can just feel & respond & exist in the art.
That’s one reason why I have done so much durational performance installation .....
because, although it takes so much time & work & effort to make - once inside the piece I can just exist ... I can transform & become part of another world & stay in there - just BEING.
The work I am doing now is more about creating lots of smaller explorations & experiments ... so it becomes much more about the “doing” - & then seeing what results.
I think my “inner child” accused of being lazy is really wanting to prove herself because she is IN SCHOOL!
& in SCHOOL you must WORK HARD.
This is not just about ME - creating my work ....... but in the context of an MFA, it’s about having to PROVE something!
So I think that’s why I’m working working working!!! I’m in school & I mustn’t be lazy!
time to breeeeathe
 

LMM

AS LONG AS U KNOWWWWWW
 
Sand

CEB - Jan 22nd

i’m going to go back to the beginning of the project .......
this is the edited version of the SAND video
i made a sound track with my voice & rubbing hands together
i also tried different effects so it doesn’t seem so sweaty & “menstrual” - as you call it!
https://youtu.be/SbeIKFfD-A0

LMM
 
CLAIRE AND  YOUR  ADVISOR

1.IKE THE QUUICK EDITS  TO WHITE ALOT

2. LIKE THE SMALL SNIPPETTS OF ACTION

3. LIKE THE SOLARIZATION AND  LESS LIKE SEEING REAL TIME-BODY, REAL SAND

4. THE 3 PART SOUND WAS NOT THERE YET....NOT SURE  WHY...DID U WANT  TO BE MASTURBATING AND HAVE THAT AS THE SOUND WITH HUMMING?  OR WITH THE WIND SOUND???

5. UR TIMING IS REALLY WORKING IN THIS

NOW TELL ME WHAT UR  TRANSART PPEOPLE THOUGHT OF THIS
  

CEB
thanx linda ........... i’m liking the atmosphere of this piece now ..........
sound is a new thing for me - so i’m not very sophisticated with it yet!
the transart peer who commented on this video was the one who had done camera for this ........ so she wanted to see more of the original grainy sand texture etc that she had been seeing through the camera ............... but i think some of that texture is still there - just transformed

LMM - Jan 23rd


keep transforming


sound needs  40484767 hours of thinking




Hay Bale - video

CEB - Jan 23rd


this is one i don’t think you’ve seen yet

i shot Hay Bale in the UK & only just edited it.
the crunchy sound is from me walking in the dry straw ... i kind of like it - but am wondering if i need to add more sound ... maybe a hand-clapping rhythm ...

HAY BALE - video
https://youtu.be/6x2tudb7rJ8


LMM


Claire and  HER TEACHER

U R GETTING REALLY PROFICIENT WITH EDITIGN VIDEO

BUTTTTTTTT THIS  ONE I AM GETTING A  HIGH END  ALLURE MAG OR  VOGUE MAG ADD FOR A FUR

DOESNT  TOUCH MY HEART


CEB

yes ... this one is more playful .... like country-bumpkin-glamour!

.............
are you in a snow storm?
we are snowed in here!
 

LMM

yes
no snow here 


Body HayBale Gestures video
 

CEB
 
last one for today!

a studio study of some of the gestures from the Hay Bale ...
as if i am still flat up against it ....
you saw an earlier version of this & said you thought it looked “stick-ish”
- so i tried editing with a letterbox to focus on the core of the body ... maybe less stickish?
BODY HAYBALE GESTURES - video
https://youtu.be/QilHt5RaG1c
 



LMM

CLAIRE AND HER  TEACHER

THE EDITIGN IS FABULOUS

CUT OFF OF HEAD AND FEET VERY UNIQUE

WORKS
LINDA
 

 
Elderberries - video & text

CEB - Jan 24th


... & the theme for today is ........

ELDERBERRIES!!!

... before you watch the video - read the short poetic text that goes with it:

Elderberries

Southwell Trail, Nottinghamshire



Smooth white skin milky in moonlight

(in flashlight – another interrogation? Caught out in the middle of nowhere at 5 o’clock in the morning “What are you doing here?” ?)



- Autumn Equinox

a black majic ritual of death

- suspended death

dark potion of Shakespeare’s Juliet  - a suspended temporary death of the body of the lover

- until such time as it is safe to revive.

- when love can exist again (open the wine)



- until then the potent black potion keeps the lover in death.





ELDERBERRIES - video:
https://youtu.be/Hn3hjfnULvY




LMM


CLAIRE AND  MAIN TEACHER



1. LIKE THE SHORT EDITS ALOT



2/ LIKE THE NATURYAL SOUND



3. AT 250 IT SEEMED LIEK I SAW THE FLASHLIGHT BUT NOT BEFORE



4. SOLARIZE????

INSTEAD OF  NATURUAL



5. NEEDS EOMETHING


CEB

hmmmmmmm ...... ok ...... i will have a think about what the “something” is .....
my editing software is very old fashioned - i might try a newer version & see what other possibilities there are ......
ELDERBERRY IMAGES are attached
you have seen some of them - but i know you can’t open flickr, so you won’t have seen all of them ..........
taking images really helps me to get a sense of the material of the subject ... & it helps to focus me
 

LMM

amazing  ur energy and follow through
 
Wheat - video - re-edited

CEB - Jan 25th


I’ve re-edited the Wheat video into short bursts of falling action - then retrograded .........

https://youtu.be/rHq88uMD3nU



LMM - Jan 26th

Claire  and ADVISOR

REALLY INTERESTING

NOT HERE YET

MAYBE UP AND DOWN BELONG TOGETHER AT SAME TIME

LINDA


CEB - Jan 27th

aaaahhh ... interesting idea - i will try it & see what it looks like - probably will work well!
https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif
 

LMM

CLAIRE AND HER ADVISOR SO ALL ON SAME PAGE

1. GETTING CLEARER

2. ID LIKE TO SEE THE GO DOWN GET UP IMMEDIATELY AND NOT SAVE FOR END

3. I WD EDIT OUT THE ONE WHERE U R SMILING TO CAMERA EARLY IN THE TAPE

JUST EDIT OUT UR FACE............TOO PERSONAL

4. SOUND FINE

5. U R BEGINNING TO NOT WORRY ABT  LENGTH AN MORE ABT  DOES IT WORKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

6. TRY AGAIN

 

 
Body Falling (gestures from wheat) - second edit

CEB - Jan 27th


Dear Linda ....

Body Falling is a studio study expanding on the falling gestures from the wheat field.

You saw the first edit - I’ve worked on editing it further ........




LMM

CLAIRE AND YOUR ADVISOR:

1. I couldn’t look away so that is good sign for me...very interesting

2. what abt altering...faster,  slower(the wole thing) 

3. what abt solarization?

4. wahtabt sound....what si ur inner feeling......abt  uuu and thissssssss???

5. what  r the sco social considrations?  abuse? flying? freedom? agility?  what r u saying


6. try again
 



CEB


Linda - thank you so much for your responses - I know I’m sending a lot of stuff for you to look at & I really appreciate the way you bounce your responses straight back to me.

I’m catching Laura up with all our recent e-mails & would like to maybe have another 3-way skype for the 3 of us to talk sometime early February.

I have a couple more pieces I want to send to you ... I’ll do that in the next couple of days & then we’ll be all caught up on the progress of the project so far .......

much appreciation



 LMM - Jan 28th

(sent pizza slice sticker)



Mountains - video

CEB - Jan 28th




 LMM


C  AND UR ADVISOR

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

LOOK AT  JESUS ON MOUNTAIN IN RIO, STATUE

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  TRIGGERED TO THIS BY U

WHO IS LEAVING  U OR NATURE?

WHAT R U SAYING”HOW TO SAY WITHOUT BEING SANCTIMONIOUS??????


 
Body Mountain Gestures

CEB


hmmmmm ..... ok - that was an unexpected response to the Mountains video!

This one is a studio session identifying themes from my interactions with the mountains - they are titled so that my intentions are clear

themes of:

Breath / Presence Spirit

Embrace/Chant

Mountain Top / Hail Salut

Mist / Mourning Loss

Laughter / Release

Earth / Fertility

so how a sanctimonious christ figure emerged from all that, i don’t know!



LMM


have to be with this to comment after awhile

https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif

CEB


ok ... thanks for giving it your time Linda

oxo

LMM

I am taking a rest but am considering what u r doing

why not  u give me a critique of what u think u are doing in the last  2  videos and how u can make them work for u

 


CEB - Jan 29th


OK ... i will do that Linda - it will probably be a good thought exercise for me to try & articulate.

Before that ... there are just a couple more things to send you from last semester’s work that i’ve re-edited ...... so i will go ahead & send them

- look at them in your own time whenever you are ready.

peace


LMM

cool

send them to me

I wd like u to study SOUND

u tube  sound artists

im getting  back



CEB

i know a lot of sound artists & often collaborate - sound is very much part of my world - that’s why i’m drawn towards including it in my work ..... starting with the body - the voice
 

LMM

THATS WHAT I MEANT

STUDY THE VOICE

ON U TUBE  OR WHEREVER

 
CEB

yes ... my mother is a voice teacher - i grew up with classical music - i was absorbing it in the womb!
i’ve been seeking, searching with my voice for something  ....... there are many many improv vocalists who seem to find their little repertoire of sounds & then just use them all the time - because they feel safe with them .......... but i don’t really want to find a “comfort zone” with it -
I like the way Lynn Book approaches the voice a lot ....
i’ve been doing some short vocal experiments in the studio - can you open Sound-Cloud?
 

LMM

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH  U KNOW I CANT  DO THAT

CAN U PUT ON UT TUBE??/

 
CEB

try clicking on this & see ...... it should just open straight up on the page
if not i will find another way to send it soon

https://soundcloud.com/cilla-vee/voicesample-panicbreath
goodnight ... good sleep
  


LMM


yess did  c these



r these just  sketches??/



how to include and use



some  r really believable(soundable)



some not so



less is more???



choose the one or ones that really work and edit out the others and make  a tape of the  1  ,  just  1  that really really works


which is that 1?





Lake Eden - video

CEB - Jan 29th


Lake Eden ... the old Black Mountain College campus

https://youtu.be/1bGGcQx5aDo




LMM


CLAIRE AND ADVISOR

1. REALLY BEAUTIFUL

2. I DONT NEED TO SEE “YOU” AT  ALL

3. I DONT NEED TO SEE YOUR  “HANDS” 

4. I NEED TO SEE  OCCASIONALLY,  UR FINGERS AS  “FISH” AND AS  LEAVES,  HIDDEN  AND A SURPRISE NOT OVERT

LESS HAND, MORE OCCASIONAL  FINGERS

5. THE POOR QUALITY SOUND WORKS EST  ESP THE WIND  PARTS

6. I WD RE-EDIT  FOR THE SOUL OF IT  NOT THE BODY OF IT’



CEB - Jan 30th


aah ... yes .... sometimes, because all my work comes from the body, it doesn’t occur to me that i can actually remove the body! ....... & yes  -this is about the essence -


LMM

edit if u wish  



Lake Eden - images


CEB


Lake Eden - 14 images attached .....

LMM

truly eden thks
 
CEB

(peace sign sticker)

LMM

(horse sticker)


Autumn Leaves - dancing - video
 
CEB - Jan 31st

last one for now ......
Autumn Leaves - dancing
.. you may have seen an earlier version - this is edited down to approx 5 mins
dancing & swirling with the camera to capture the dancing, swirling leaves
Body Spinning is the studio study of this motion - which you’ve already seen
... you’ve seen the still images that go with this too
 


LMM

I c 20 different videos there

at  300ish interesting out of focus

slowed down???

the one before with just the  water,  without  the body and hands  not so visible but just  fingers, was reallyyyyyyyyyy interesting
 

 
life etc ...

CEB


Linda ... just to keep you posted on life-in-general etc ...

i’m about to go on an artist residency/retreat for the month of Feb

it’s at the John Cage Memorial Park in Chance MD - on Deal Island by the Chesapeake Bay

i’m going to continue this project, working in the environment there - mid-winter by the bay.

my mum is doing better - still very weak & unable physically, but she has been coming out of her “concussion fog” finally! .... i was a bit concerned about leaving for a month - but dad feels confident he can take care of things ok

- they are planning to back to England in March.

so i will be in touch again soon - from Deal Island!

peace & blessings

oxo




LMM


C  this is so wonderful



u r so lucky



maveltov


L




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