Forrest Russell's 'Moving (blue) Pools'

"This marked paper stage is evidence of a 40-minute performance that combined the movement and printing of the body in an attempt to map out limited motion.

This project was inspired by the severe breaking of my right clavicle in March, which occurred while participating in a performance piece by Beasho titled: ‘Kaokab’. This specific site is the location I had sustained the injury in and the performers were some of those who were present. It was vital for me to invite them to this exploration as they had witnessed my fall, my failure, and my feelings of regret for having performed. These individuals supported my healing process, helping me to recover confidence in the idea of creating with the body once again, something that was new to me.

Throughout my recovery time, I had to find alternate ways of creating on a daily basis. I wanted to bring forward this idea of isolation as my healing was still ongoing. During the performance, the participant’s task was to paint the left shoulder/collarbone areas and attempt to only use that part of the body to create the marks that would eventually fill the blank canvas, aiding one another along the way. The movements were at times heavy, sluggish, awkward and tiring but nevertheless, they left traces/strokes of paint, evidence of each effort. The only area of the paper untouched was the spot I had originally laid upon after my accident.

In a way, this was a continuation of the previous material exploration. One which ended in the direct manipulation of my body. This was my attempt to reconcile with the space, my body and my peers to learn to work more carefully, thoughtfully and respectfully." - Forrest Russell

For more information visit: https://forrestrussell.com/