I have always been intrigued by the concept of the Exquisite Corpse. The name itself fascinates me but the actual process of creating one is even more exciting. It began in the early 20th century as a writing game but was later popularized as a drawing game. Three people were given one sheet of paper. The first person drew the head of a figure and folded the paper so that only the very bottom portion of the neck was visible. Using this as a starting point, the second person drew the figure's torso. The paper was again folded so that only the very bottom of the waist was visible and the third person drew the legs and feet of the figure. The artists were all blind to the work of the others. The drawing is then unfolded. What is revealed is a discordant figure, with the individual parts often surprisingly connected by the collective unconscious of the participants.
This year, the Exquisite Corpse Festival is taking this basic premise and applying it to a variety of media, including painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, film, theater, dance, music, fashion, tattoo, cocktails, munny, clocks, and taxidermy.
I am thrilled to be a participant in the event, which will take place in NYC later this year.
I am one third of a team creating a sculptural Exquisite Corpse. As luck would have it, I am partnered with two gifted mixed media artists, John Borrero and Stephanie Rubiano. John created the base, Stephanie made the torso, and I made the head. The three pieces are in the process of being attached but I wanted to share a preview to whet your appetite...
The Festival opens July 9th with a presentation of the visual works and a musical performance. The event begins at 7:30 at Space on White in Tribeca. I would love to see you there! More information about the event can be found on their website here and will be posted on my blog soon.
