I just closed on my performance of STANDING, a tribute to Ukraine. This work was so meaningful and I hope to have other opportunities to show it. The piece opens with street murals by Ukrainian artist, Yuriy Pitchuk, projected on wood boxes. I was not sure if the visuals would work as I had in mind but I feel it turned out beautifully. I do not have performance shots or videos yet, but I am sharing some studio shots of the process.
St. Petersburg, FL mural artist, Jill Kelly – “Jilly” of Jilly Juniper Art, did a wonderful job of painting one side of the boxes that all come together to create her interpretation of the piece. Her box mural shows a city in flames with a single building amidst the flames and a painting of a Ukrainian woman.
Jilly told me that what kept coming to mind for her in the process was “art remains” or “beauty remains.” In talking through this work with her, I decided that “STANDING” would be an appropriate title. It ties together so many things – standing with Ukraine; what still stands in Ukraine; and what will always remain in the hearts of the Ukrainian people.
It was an interesting process figuring out how to arrange the boxes for the opening projections and also how to rearrange them throughout the dance to show the box mural. The boxes are very heavy and I did not want to appear labored in the dance, nor did I want to take up too much time arranging them. Having felt tape on the bottom of them made it very easy to slide them, giving the transition a lot of ease and I felt it also added an interesting visual and change of perspective.
I could not be happier with the audience’s feedback and reaction to the piece. It was a touching experience for me to present.
