Art Washes Over You

(Left) Félix Vallotton, On the Beach, 1899. Oil on board, 16 1/2 x 18 7/8 in. Private collection, Switzerland. (Right) Dancer Meghan Pilling in rehearsal for Snapshot Confidential. Photo: Amy Wike

When the possibility of creating a work inspired by Snapshot: Painters and Photography, Bonnard to Vuillard arose several months ago, I was immediately struck by the notion of how a new technology (the camera) could reshape the vision of an artist. To me, this parallels the evolution we are currently experiencing in the performing arts world, as technological developments reshape how artists create, and subsequently how audiences consume, live performance.  When I had the pleasure of seeing the Snapshot exhibition several months later, the rich pool of imagery in it overwhelmed me. I found a strong sense of intimacy, an almost voyeuristic feeling that the photographs I was looking at were not intended for public viewing. Snapshot Confidential is the direct result of how that imagery washed over me and left impressions in my mind, which then led to the generation of movement. I was also very motivated by a statement I read, detailing how the advent of the camera pushed artists to reevaluate the lighting, framing, and perspective of their artwork. I felt compelled to explore this imagery, intimacy, framing of perspective, and lighting through dance. I invite you to join us on March 15 at 6:30 pm, and let these dances wash over you as the paintings and photographs of the exhibition washed over me.

Christopher K. Morgan, choreographer and artist-in-residence at CityDance