Documentation of an Expanded Cinema Work By Kerry Laitala
Trip the Light Fantastic!!- An Expanded Cinema performance
By Kerry Laitala
The wheel is the ultimate symbol of movement within stasis: each outer point forever spinning around a stationary pivot, repeatedly returning to the same position periodically. A motif of time, of industry, and of progress, it’s also a key component of the mechanics of film projection itself. In “Trip the Light Fantastic”, circular-patterned motions establish a visual dance upon the screen. A Victorian-era tightrope walker draws attention to the precarious nature of loop-based live performance. Sparks thrown from a grinding wheel recall the ancient affiliation of friction and illumination. The performance ultimately seeks to work with the rhythms of Neal Johnson’s musical accompaniment to sculpt light in real time at the caprice of the projectionist.
Equipment used; 2 16mm projectors, one microphone stand with horizontal boom pole 16mm looper, and various intervention materials and sleight of hand. Approximately 12 minutes in length.
Original sound scored and performed by Neal Johnson
Performed for Shapeshifters in Oakland, CA
