Trisha Brown.
Access to the large database of original documentation of some of Trisha Browns early works (from 1966-75) was an amazing experience, looking back to works such as Man Walking down the side of a building 1970, Leaning Duets 1970, Floor of the Forest and Falling Duet (I) 1970 show Browns engagement with Horizontality from early on in her Career. This notion was brought up to me in the essay Topppling Dance by Andre Lepecki, speaking on Brown’s It’s a Draw/ Live Feed:
“This onctrolled yet released falling, this temporary, willful withdrawal from the verticality of the figure is what unrestrictedly authorizes Brown’s embrace of horizontality as a critique of the vertical-perspectival through the anti-representational and asymbolic game that is It’s a Draw/ Live Feed”
Even if this refers to a later work of hers, Looking at how she presents, acknowledge and explicitly uses gravity and horizontality in her early performance seems to show a different concern than representation. Moreover in works such as Leaning Duets and Floor of the Forest that there is struggle or lack of, which shows the bodies trying something. Work is produced, I like this aspect of Brown and others such a Yvonne Rainers that work is replaces as a type of performance quality. Intention becomes integral, exciting and holding to the performers actions. The early footage of Leaning Duets I requested shows this struggle and playful quality of Browns work really well. It forms a reminder of our (onbsrvers) bodies use/functionality and how one navigates, negotiates landscapes whether it is natural or man-made.
The works continue to tour seen here
