“Award-winning contemporary dancer and choreographer CLAUDIA HILDA is joined by Dancer DANNY QUITANA for a dance performance in response and commissioned as a companion to The Ark. Subtly interweaving an expanded multidisciplinary practice that combines performance, video art, and writing, Hilda presents a multidimensional work that deeply explores and expresses the themes of our summer exhibition, enriched by her collaboration with Quitana’s traditional foundation in dance. Audience experience is heightened by the beautiful experimental design of recent graduate ELEANORE JEFFREYS whose love for immersive design invites you deeper into the performance. Additionally, guests are treated to a live performance from the musical genius of ALEX KOI, whose music has been described as “impossibly stunning”” - The Church Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY
Noah’s Daughters - Soft Bodies in Hard Times
Reaserch and Ideation.
Stage 1. Costume Ideation began as a deep dive into the combination of human and animal characteristics, exploring sculptures, designers, and art imagery that depict the embodiment of this combination.
Stage 2. Refining the ideation. Reflecting on the Exhibition works and intention, the feeling I want to evoke, materials, and what I want to execute.
As a team we realized we were on the track of depicting the darkness of human versus nature, which can be very easy to fall into as there is so much uncertainty and fear in that conversation. We decided as artists we had the power to create a feeling of hope and lightness with our work, specifically the visual costume element. As The designer I found new inspirations, dove deeper into how to execute a sculptural piece, what textiles will do what I need, and how the dancer will move in the piece to create maximum impact with ease.
Sculpture Exhibition creator Eric Fischl stated in his concept statement for the “ARK” - “The role of the artist, thru works created, is to reweave fabrics of understanding, empathy, determination, hope, connectedness and love. Each sculpture in this show demonstrates the breadth of our creative language put to use to stay in touch, touching, and being touched by the beauty, tenderness, vulnerability, power of life and living.”
To this statement I found greater inspiration and re-set…
Key words: Sculptural, Light, Movement, Layers, Transparent, Flight, Birds, Textural, Organic.
Final Costume Design Drawings.
Production Process.
The process. started with a series of samples for each mask intended to figure out the best way to achieve fit around the face and head. Followed by the final product construction with added clips, combs, and velcro to stay secure during the dancers movements. I then moved onto the body costume, turning my inspirations into a design that would hit all of our desired wants for the performance. I made patterns based on the dancers measurements, and constructed the final costumes out of the desired textile.
Performance Images.
Dancers - Claudi Hilda, Danny Quintana
