I am both inspired by and gracious for the opportunity to be a Winter Artist in Residence at CounterPULSE. I have been creating work for over 13 years and realize, that just as in life, there is never a time that an artist does not need support. The moment I stepped into the studio for my first rehearsal I knew I was standing on fertile ground that would help nurture and hone my creativity while working on this piece.
What happens when one begins to re-trace his/her steps home and gets lost? One may randomly begin to point in various directions muttering “home is that way, right?” When I first heard this question, it struck me deep – to the core. I realized I had never had this experience of not knowing which direction would lead me back home. An immediate fear came over me as I empathized with this person. The more I thought about it, the more I made associations with the metaphor and how loaded the word ‘home’ is for people. So that is where I decided to begin; chronicling the innocence, genius, tragedy and rebirth of an imaginative boy. As he grows older, he turns to a life headed for ultimate destruction. It is not long before his mind ponders different ideas of home, retracing steps, questioning what is home, recalling his upbringing, deciding which direction to go.
There is so much to talk about around this topic of imprisonment and home and I find myself challenged to say true to what I want to say and not focus on what I think others are expecting me to say. What I love about being able to do this investigation at CounterPULSE is that it allows me to challenge myself but not be confined by site-specific work. Immediately I began a whole new approach to how I was creating. Knowing that I have the support needed to bring things that will embellish my piece, I am inspired to try new set-design and multi-media concepts. I am very excited to be working with dancer/architect Shelley Davis to help frame the work and give the audience an immediate experience from the moment they walk through the door
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