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The artist was born in 1949 to a family of art. The artist began drawing prolifically from the time she could hold a pencil. At the age of 16 she began making films. In 1971 she received a B.F.A. in Film from the Philadelphia College of Art. While there, she also studied and performed dance with Group Motion - a multi-media dance company comprised of former students of Mary Wigman in Berlin.

 

thunder cracks, the grass trembles and all living beings flow into their forms.

 

An artist flows into her form.

 

 

Inspired by the work of Japanaese animator Yoji Kuri, and drawing on the movement and structures she experienced with dance, she began to animate her drawings. In 1974 she received an M.F.A. from the California Institute of the Arts in Animation, studying with the renowned artist and designer Jules Engel.

 

Laquered Wind parts the veils.

 

The wigged figure takes its place in the play.

 

 

In 1981, the artist was impressed by the presentation of Abel Gance's "Napolean" with a live orchestra and became interested in extending the medium of film beyond the frame. Receivng a Media Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and with a desire to return to performance, she began working with dance and film, creating Primitive Movers - a 30 minute piece integrating animation with dance., in which she was the sole performer. The work was influenced by the Russian set designers in the 1920's and was followed by Strange Ditties (1984) a stark work in black and white, influenced by African music and dance (which she studied from 1981-86). In 1987 the artist further explored the use of front projected imagery on the live performer in Syncopations, using live action film of 7 dancers to create almost holographic tableaux.

 

an ancient well

Borrowed moonlight floats.

 

The figure peers within.

The wind whispers - "I will lift out your reflection with my long fingers."

 

Between 1990-93 the artist began delving into an exploration of different cultural influences in her work, more narrative themes, and more detailed characterizations in her live performance. Work completed between 1990 and 1993 fusing film with performance includes, Oriental Interplay, Az-tech, and She. During this time she also studied flamenco dance extensively, forging it into an avant-garde expression in such works as Kabuki-Menco, Fluid Flamenco, and Egypto.

 

 

in the Caverns

Eerily lit from below -

An Antique wind blows.

 

An Icon awaits.

 

The artist began studying Butoh dance in1995, continuing a long-standing interest in Japanese art and performance. In summer 1996 she performed in Japan at the Hiroshima International Animation Festival, travelling on to Tokyo to study Butoh with Kazuo and Yoshito Ohno, and Noh Theater with Kimbu Hamano. In Tokyo, she also researched Bunraku puppetry and ancient archeological figurines for a major project - Kleopat'Ra - an hour length piece portraying the eerie universe of a ritual figurine. The work incorporates film imagery intricately interwoven with live performance.

In addition to Kleopat'Ra, the artist is currently completing an installation work for exhibition in museums and galleries - The Inn of Floating Imagery, involving the use of projected imagery and fabrics to create invisible floating universes.

 

 

Artifacts are carried by the Wind.

 

The artist's animated films have been exhibited widely and have won numerous awards, including a Gold Hugo from the Chicago International Film Festival in 1974, for Mirror People, and First Prize, and Public Prize at the Ottawa Animation Festival in 1978. for Pencil Booklings. She was Visiting Lecturer in Animation at Harvard University for 1978/79.

 

Since 1982 she has performed extensively in the U.S. and Europe. Her performances have included Cineprobe at the Museum of Modern Art, the Institute of Contemporary Art in London, Baltimore Art Museum, Hirschorn Museum at the Smithsonian Institution, Hiroshima Animation Festival, Theater and Dance Festival in Saltzburg(Szene Saltzburg), "Serious Fun" at Lincoln Center, Walker Art Center, Museum of Art/Carnegie Institute, International Animation Festival in Cardiff/Wales, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Danspace at St. Mark's Church in New York, Cleveland Performance Art Festival, L.A.C.E. in Los Angeles, Contemporary Art Center of Santa Fe, The Painted Bride Art Center in Philadelphia, "Next Move" at the Annenberg Center/Philadelphia, Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, Helsinki Festival, the Posthof in Linz/Austria, Szene Wien/Vienna, "Gestes" Festival/Brussels, Festival Bois de la Batie/Geneva, Eis Fabrik/Hannover, Dance Umbrella in Boston, Harvard University, etc.

 

The artist received an Independent Filmmaker Production grant from the American Film Institute in 1976. For her pieces involving film with live performance she has received two grants from the NEA in Media, two from NEA Choreography, one in NEA Inter-arts, two in NEA Dance/Film/Video, as well as two grants from the New York State Council on the Arts in Film. Fellowships also include two Choreography Fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, Creative Artists Public Service, and the Queens Council for the Arts.

In 1990 she was honored by the California Institute for the Arts as a Distinguished Alumni for her work fusing film with performance as well as receiving the Silver Star Outstanding Alumni Award from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she also taught a course of her own design - "Image and Performance."

In 1998 in addition to receiving her second Choregraphy Fellowship from NYFA, the artist also received a grant from the Space Program at the Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation, endowing her with a studio for one year.

 

Video, drawings and press archives of her work are in the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library of the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center , and she was recently featured in Women Artists (Abbeville Press) by Nancy Heller. The aritist was the subject of a 7 page feature in PRINT Magazine by John Canemaker in 1994. Her work with performance and film has been taped by Swiss, Austrian, German, Brazilian, and Japanese television, as well as the BBC.

 

Artifacts

 

 

Film Works:

 

FRANCES. 1970. 4 minutes. Live action.

PORTRAITS. 1971. 20 minutes. Live action.

PLUTO PEOPLE. 1971. 20 minutes. Animation..

MOVERS. 1972. 3 minutes. Animation..

THE MYSTERIANS. 1973. 6 minutes. Animation.

MIRROR PLEOPLE. 1974. 4 minutes. Animation.

THE ARTS CIRCUS. 1974. 3 minutes. Animation.

THE MOON SHOW. 1974. 2 minutes. Animation.

THE DOODLERS. 1975. 5 minutes. Animation.

PENCIL BOOKLINGS. 1978. 14 minutes. Animation.

 

 

Works combining Performance with Film:

All Films and Chreography by Kathy Rose.

 

PRIMITIVE MOVERS. 1983. 30 minutes. The artist's first work integrating animated film and performance. Using visual influence from Russian artists, costume and set designers in the theater in the 1920's and 1930's, this work fuses dancer and film into a single unit of motion. The imagery progresses from figurative to cubist, and finally to abstraction. Music - Charles Cohen. Sound effects edit - Kathy Rose. Costumes - Mary Bright.

 

STRANGE DITTIES 1983. 20 minutes. Integrating black and white animated film with a starkly costumed solo performer, this tribalistic piece draws its influence from African and West Indian dance and music. Music - C.P. Roth. Costume - Mary Bright. Sound effects edit - Kathy Rose.

 

SYNCOPATIONS. 1987. 50 minutes. Live aciton film of seven dancers is integrated with the solo performer creating an almost holographic effect. Looking at times like erotic Georgia O'Keefe imagery, the film in this seven scene work is projected on the human body giving a sculptural impact. Music - C.P. Roth,. Costumes - Mary Bright.

 

ORIENTAL INTERPLAY 1991. 10 minutes. A fashion haiku in which projected animated imagery of hats, dresses and shapes drip and slide on the performers, creating living costumes. This work has some influence from Russian constructivism and the work of Sonia Delauney. Music - Walther Giger. Costume design - Kathy Rose.

 

AZ-TECH. 1992. 12 minutes. Ancient Aztec culture combines with science fiction as three silver costumed figures prepare the priestess Hat-Chec for initiation into their religion. Time travel light beams created with animated film take the two figures into a primitive god's vehicle which transforms into a space ship. The work has influence from the Bauhaus, and art deco. Music - C.P.Roth. Costume design- Kathy Rose.

 

SHE. 1993. 12 minutes. An exotic trio fusing Indian culture with insect society. The climax occurs when insect creatures move reverently towards a queen creature - a Shiva/Spider who is immolated on a pyre of animated film by creatures holding Balinese puppet sticks. Music - C.P.Roth. Costumes design - Kathy Rose.

 

ANCIENT MYSTERIES. 1994. 20 minutes. A dreamy hologramic circle of female spirits revolve around a central figure. The work moves fluidly to an eerie amost South Pacific tribal dance by a turquoise masked figure in a large hoop skirt. Costumes - Mary Bright.

 

KLEOPAT'RA. 1999. 1 hour.

The artist's most intricate and ambitious piece portraying the journey of a ritual figurine in 11 scenes. The piece incorporates film imagery - both live action and animated film interwoven with live performance, and is accompanied by titles on film. Costume design - Kathy Rose. Sound design - Toshi Makahara.

 



THE INN OF FLOATING IMAGERY. 1999.

The installation uses projected imagery derived from Kleopat'Ra, and fabrics to create mysterious floating universes.

 

Performance works without use of film:

 

CUBISTIMENCO. 1991. 7 minutes. An avant-garde solo which fuses flamenco with Arabic dance and music. Music - Walther Giger. Costume design - Kathy Rose.

 

EGYPTO. 1991. 3 minutes. A solo choreographed by the artist for Luis Montero, well-known Spanish dancer, which uses an avant-garde interpretation of flamenco. Music - Dave LeBolt. Costume design - Kathy Rose.

 

KABUKI-MENCO. 1991. 10 minutes. A work which fuses Japanese theater and flamenco dance. A trio of women perform an austere rite in front of a beautiful undulating waterfall. Music - Walther Giger. Costume design - Kathy Rose.

 

FLUID FLAMENCO. 1991. 6 minutes. An elegant duet in which the dancers transform themselves with large sweeping black capes to the sound of rippling water. Costume design - Kathy Rose.

 

PRECIOUS METALS. 1991. 8 minutes. A solo in which a Brancusi-like sculptural figure rises from the depths. Wrapping and unwrapping herself like intricate metallic origami, she disappears into primordial copper lava. The sound track is a mournful female vocal. Music - Walther Giger. Voice - Raquel Garcia. Costume design - Kathy Rose.

 

 

Workshop:

 

IMAGE AND PERFORMANCE..

The workshop explores the interaction between visual media and the performing arts; the rich and poetic imagery that can arise from their juxtaposition, and the effects on the performer's persona.

 

is still as the Un-wind blows.

 

 



 

© 1999 Kathy Rose - kleo@bway.net

photography by Michael Langsfield

web design: Elinore Burke - elektra42@rocketmail.com