In his new work, Tides and Mirrors – Study No.1, Joshua Rutter presents viewers with a score for people walking backwards. Performers of the work are governed by a set of simple rules that change over time, allowing effective, if limited, choices to be made within an unknowable environment. The hope is that when taken together, these choices generate what the artist describes as ‘scenic moments and situations’.
“I imagine this piece being done with a large group of people from different backgrounds and of diverse ages. It would take place in a large warehouse or outdoor space where they can walk backwards for a longer distance before looping back to the start.”
Of his background, Rutter notes: “One of my current interests is designing systems of bodies that take simple inputs and generate complex or evocative outputs. This way of thinking was inspired by learning about computer simulation sciences, and “Conway’s Game of Life” in particular. It seems to me that there are many parallels between simulations and theatre practices.”
This 40min test was run on the last day of Choreolab 2018, a dance and choreography workshop run by Footnote New Zealand Dance, attended by some 40 dancers at which Rutter was a guest choreographer, using this unique opportunity to explore ideas requiring large numbers of performers to probe.
Live sound by Kristian Larsen, using iphone and Korg Monotron Delay.
A big thank you to Footnote and all the dancers: Lucy Beeler, Josie Archer, Tallulah Holly-Massey, Alana Yee, Jacob Edmonds, Emily Doherty, Jessica Johns, Laura Beanland-Stephens, Elijah Kennar, Evie Logan, Brittany Kohler, Natasha Kohler, Bella Wilson, Cuba Haslam, Emma Cosgrave, Lara Liew, Tui Hofmann, Surekha Krishnan, Cindy Jang, Taitanyk Toniu, Natalie Maria Clark, Nicholas Jachno, Emily Hancock, Leah Carrell, Champa Jandyra Maciel, Chloe Tan, Amber Liberte, Bex Claridge, Olivia Thynne, Emily Moffat, Jadyn Burt, and Virginia Kennard.
Joshua Rutter is a NZ artist living in Berlin, Germany. With experience and training in dance, circus, theatre, electronic music and contemporary art, his work has explored choreographic possibilities found in the internet, objects, subcultures and masculine identities. His current artistic interests are situations and physical systems. He has worked with a number of NZ and international artists over the last 20 years, and in 2016 completed his Masters studies in Solo/Dance/Authorship at the Berlin university of the arts. He has performed his own work in Germany, Sweden, Romania and New Zealand.
Website: joshuarutter.com
Opens – Thursday 8 March, 5.30pm (w. refreshments from Liberty Breweries)
Hours – Tuesday – Saturday, 12.00pm – 4.00pm.
Closes – Saturday 7 April 4.00pm.