Most have come across the saying, ‘Take time to smell the roses.’ If asked what it means, many would assume it is stressing the importance of appreciating life in all its beauty. The beauty of life everyone harps on does not only happen in moments of tranquility. In fact, those striking instances occur in everyday life, during ordinary endeavors.
Samantha Russell, a junior dance and performance choreography major, emphasized that attraction with her dance for film, “Artefact.”
The film will explore instants of “creativity and beauty that catch our eye throughout the journey of making and pursuing art.” Dance for film, put on by the Department of Dance, is funded by the Eagle Scholars Program for Undergraduate Research and constructed each semester.
Russell said “Artefact” is intended to show the connection between the arts and explore how the process of creating art can be viewed as a work of art itself. Inspiration for the film came from the movement visual artists use in their creative process.
Throughout the semester, Russell filmed senior art and design major, Kyla Clary working on a current art project. Close observations from the artist’s work helped her to create choreography with James Riley, senior dance performance and choreography major.
The duo used unique illustrations to create original choreography.
“It’s going to be an interesting and abstract film and something you wouldn’t expect in a dance for film piece,” Riley said. The first half of the film will show how an artist creates work. Toward the second half, Russell hopes viewers will get an idea of what goes into the final product.
“I hope when people watch Artefact they are not only entertained, but also begin to think differently about art and how it can occur in many different ways,” Russell said.
The film will begin at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Woods Theatre at the USM Theatre and Dance Building. Admission for the general public is free and an “artist talk” will immediately follow the show.
For a sneak preview of the film, visit the facebook page.
