Over Forsythe’s Moving Paintings
Nombre : Murat Gelir
Fecha: 01.02.2023
Over Forsythe’s Moving Paintings
Introduction
This essay will discuss the innovative choreographer William Forsythe’s works called “Choreographic Objects” which he has been working on since 1989.
Summary
Before any further ado, since I am not qualified or well informed about modern dance or choreography, this review/essay only contains some personal opinions and my individual perception of Forsythe's installations, rather and a critical. I will cover “Choreographic Objects” and try to concretize the meaning and the target behind all by sampling his exhibitions/ installations called “Alignigung” and “Black Flags”.
Background of the Artist:
William Forsythe (was born in 1949, New York) is an innovative American dancer/ choreographer known for his works with Ballet Frankfurt and the Forsythe Company. He is reconized for the integration of choreography and visual arts. He started dancing in his teenage years in college. Later on he began his training in Florida and then danced with Joffrey Ballet.Also, he danced with Nolen Dingman and Christa Long. By the side, he followed his grandfather’s way as a violinist.
William Forsythe has been expanding the boundaries of dance for over four decades. In tandem with the evolution of his choreographic performances, Forsythe has been working for more than twenty years on installations, film works, and discrete, interactive sculptures that he calls “choreographic objects.” a series of sculptural installations. These physical, object-based extensions of his choreographic practice have become an integral aspect of his work. Consistent with his expanded conceptual aim of activating ordinary observers to choreograph themselves, the Choreographic Objects prompt the conscious engagement of humans in a given environment.
Personal Comprehension
As I explained before this part contains my personal opinions on Forsythe’s works. I will try to cover “Choreographic Objects” with the aim of coming up with an explanation. I’ll try to keep this as concrete as possible. Because, in my opinion, discrete things are not easy to be grasped by a group of people in the same way unless we associate them with objects. I know they don’t have to mean the same thing for every one but what I am trying to say is that in order to understand the message and the purpose of these things, this is my way. What I just stated actually is, what Forsythe has been doing with Choreographic Objects for years, in a way.
So, what is a choreographic object? The easiest and most concrete explanation is that it’s a presentation of an art form in movement. I think the most crucial thing here is the movement cause I don't know if we can talk about choreography without movement. Forsythe explains it as:”a situation that brings up an unconscious competence.”Most people associate these objects with sculptures, mostly the ones performed by humans. But I guess, I am on a different page here because I see them as moving paintings. I can’t help but imagine what if Caravaggio’s paintings were alive as well by watching Alignigung. I guess, it is where drama and films come handy.
According to Forsythe, Alignigung is an observation kind of a choreography that can only be performed by humans. It's just material which has been extracted from air and everything else in between. So, by removing the obstacles, he creates a suitable place for objects to perform in sync. And even, with the help of the movement as well, invites the audience to be in the choreography.
Furthermore, Forsythe takes one more step ahead with the Black Flags. Any object that is in possession of human will, in some way, becomes an artistic object. Here, I am not talking about the potential products which could be created by a human such, a painting or a sculpture. What I am referring to is the object which takes part in the production of an art form. The one taking part in the exhibition or in the choreography. Like the robots in the Black Flags. “They are choreographed objects which received a choreography to perform an extra human spectacle” as he says. As they are called objects, as long as they have similar movement to the human body, there will be a narration. So, even these huge industrial objects could perform choreography.
Even though all this is extremely meta to me and above my comprehension, especially seeing Alignigung, excites me. And as I said I see them as moving paintings or like the live pictures that we take with our smartphones. So, what Forsythe has accomplished may not mean a thing to many people. On the other hand, there is no way to deny the fact that he is a brave, innovative artist after all.