Kinetic Sculpture: Concept
Posted by 
Lisa Brunet at Tuesday, April 28, 2015 8:47:51 PM
Lisa Brunet at Tuesday, April 28, 2015 8:47:51 PM
Okay; first things first: let's start with the concept. I get to make a hand-cranked sculpture that moves. I mainly want an excuse to make a hula dancer, honestly.
So starting with that, climate change is an ideal cause; small islands like Hawaii are the most vulnerable to climate change and most affected by rising sea levels. (http://www.hanaleiwatershedhui.org/the-science/climate-change-hawaii) In Hawaii, Whale Skate Island has already disappeared, and the northwestern islands are lower-lying and more likely to be inundated with water from rising sea levels over the next century. Some endangered species exist only in those areas. Warming water may also kill the coral reefs that protect Hawaii's beaches and provide their white sand.
Hula dancing is the language of the heart; Queen Ka'ahumanu banned it in 1830 after converting to Christianity, but King David Kalakaua restored hula, surfing, and the martial art of lua during his reign (1874-1891), and was nicknamed the Merrie Monarch for his love of his Hawaiian culture. Hilo's annual hula competition was named The Merrie Monarch Festival in his honor.
I'd like to capture the movement in 1:49-1:53 of this Merrie Monarch video: https://vimeo.com/92900854.
Fashion designer/dancer/sculptor/performance artist Nick Cave seemed like the best artist to reference for style. His sound suits were made to be danced in, and create noise. His raffia suits and tin toy suits would work well for a hula dancer. Dancers disappear in his soundsuits, though; they lose their own personality, their faces are usually hidden, and they become a different entity. I want to avoid this for my dancer; the hula dancer's facial expressions and peaceful grace look like an important part of the dance.
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