Sara Shelton Mann
Artist Statement
As we refine our perception, we begin to perceive messages—the Morse code of our collective body—in the patterning of energy, tissue, and motility. These messages form stories, and these stories form the “performance.” Like many artists who have spent a lifetime in the heart of their craft, I have come to believe that the exploration of these stories form a vital collective heritage that transcends the artifact of performance. We begin where we are – now, with space within and without, forming new roots to see with new eyes, creating new patterns through creativity, discipline. Risk is inherent. Freedom is optional. Love is forever.
While At Headlands
During my time at Headlands I will be developing “Gathering the Eye of Leo”, a mix of performance solos I have been creating over the last few years, into a new, cumulative work. These solos have created through intimate conversation with the performer. We work together with writing and spacial puzzles, analyzing overlapping information until there is transparency. While my work is inter-disciplinary and performance oriented writing is a key component in discovering a work. As a writer, I develop texts which allow me to delve into the psyche of each performer and to write as though I was them. By laying out all these texts, from the nine solos created thus far, I will be able to see the alchemy of these archetypes and the potential dynamics of their relationships. This will become the framework of this new piece.
Selected Video
Eye of Leo – Love of Emptiness – 5 min from Sara Shelton Mann on Vimeo.