voyage

Voyage

Contemporary dancer Karsten Kroll posed for this drawing. His mastery of body language and his anatomical definition were invaluable. The drawing Voyage is part of a larger exhibition project of the same name, with an accompanying book and video, which can be experienced virtually by clicking here and scrolling down.

Each of my drawings is like a voyage filled with discovery and peril. I feel that I must dive into each piece with a degree of recklessness, because new challenges always lie in wait. I have expressed to my students that creating a work of art is often times like jumping into a river with a fast moving current. Even though you may have thought that you had visualized the full scope of the river (that is, the work of art), being carried far away by its current may force you to abandon your visualization. You have to allow the work of art to carry you away from your initial visualization because of the force of its own internal logic.

Initially, I had visualized a very consistent representation of a stylized wave design. However, it became much more interesting to me to portray each wave differently as an expression of the endless possibilities of the imagination. For me, the water in this drawing represents the river of the imagination, for it is varied, dynamic, dangerous, and shimmering with life. Karsten Kroll, professional performing artist, posed for this drawing. His proficiency with body language and his defined musculature were invaluable to this project. (2011, charcoal on paper, 44” x 73 ½”, 111.8 cm x 186.7 cm, frame included)