This is the process of producing the final ‘piece’ that will feature as a video insert in the FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY 10 Year Anniversary Season performance of the new work entitled “LAST THOUGHTS”.
The piece starts off by saying/reading LAST THOUGHTS in some funky lettering, before I completely oblitirate the literary function of letters with a full-on WILDSTYLE graffiti attack.
This style of Graffiti is the one that most people respond to by saying “I can’t read what it says!”. Google search “Wildstyle Graffiti” images if you are looking for some serious inspiration and awe inspiring artistic flair. I feel I need to explain that the point of this type of style, as with most Hip Hop ideas of ‘style’ or ‘styling’, is that it isn’t meant to be read as much as it is meant to be felt. Therein lies it’s perfect purpose within this work, “Last Thoughts”, which is about the language of the body, of feeling and expressing.
I have never been as comfortable painting letters (or ‘style writing’ as we call it) as I have painting characters. In my career as an artist I have painted pictures more then I have painted my name. Plenty of heads would use this as an indication of my lack of authenticity as a Graffiti Writer, but that’s their beef. I have written my name enough to know where I stand when it comes to having a can in hand.
This piece was produced under some interesting constraints. I had to move in and out of the frame every minute or two in order for us (my wife Karen is the ‘videographer’ producing this installation) to capture a suitable ‘timelapse’ effect, where the piece will seemingly paint itself on the back wall of the stage while the dancers perform in front of it. I also had to complete the work in a shorter time frame then usual, but thanks to some excellent babysitting efforts from Grandma “ShoSho” Robinson, some wonderful support and encouragement from Gary Nell and the customers of his salon “The G-Spot” across the road (not to mention the coffee and power source!) and some generally well-meaning spectators (except for that lady who wants to start a petition to have it removed) I ended up pulling off a satisfying ‘style’.
I am looking forward to seeing the full two-story version in performance. Every Writer wants to go large, I just had some visual assistance with this one! Next I’m gonna go CGI…
EwokesSAy 