Drawing by AK
seeing and re-seeing
This is the drawing over my desk:
Alexis Kane drew it while she watched a run of the Iris Dance during our UW residency and generously let me keep it. I find it somehow astonishing to see the landscape I’d hoped would emerge among moving bodies given shape and line on paper. To be able to see both the bodies and the landscape. To see how it imprints. To see it, seen.
During performance weekends I’ve started bringing this drawing to the gallery to keep backstage. It is a beautiful encouragement to the dancers and myself to remember that the paths and shapes we carve in space will become a landscape through time and repetition. That the landscape arises among us in collaboration with the viewer’s eyes and memory.
Alexis and our wonderful Pamm Hanson came to both the Seattle UW run AND to the April Loess performances! Gorgeous artists, workers, humans, I’ve known them for maybe 15 years, labored for or alongside them, loved and mourned their dogs, enjoyed their beautiful art and beautiful company while very gradually becoming a little less excruciatingly intimidated by them. During the UW residency I slept in their sweet tiny backyard house. As I’ve told them, though not often enough, I find these two people deeply encouraging - as in, deeply capable of promoting and nourishing courage.
I know them, too—more than 40 years now—and they are indeed wonderful artists, and great people. Beautiful drawing by Alexis!
Oh Corrie. I am so touched and humbled by your writing... And oh how I love reading you write about your work. I feel SO very lucky to have you, and Jason and Harvey, in my/our life. So much beauty and depth of thought and just plain brilliance! Of course I would do whatever I can to support you to carry on!! much love.