The Rhythms of Dance

Term: 3 Year: 2011
The Rhythms Of Dance 2
The Rhythms Of Dance 1
The Rhythms Of Dance 20
The Rhythms Of Dance 19
The Rhythms Of Dance 18
The Rhythms Of Dance 17
The Rhythms Of Dance 16
The Rhythms Of Dance 15
The Rhythms Of Dance 14
Art & craft materials and resources
The Rhythms Of Dance 12
The Rhythms Of Dance 11
The Rhythms Of Dance 10
The Rhythms Of Dance 9
The Rhythms Of Dance 8
The Rhythms Of Dance 7
The Rhythms Of Dance 6
The Rhythms Of Dance 5
The Rhythms Of Dance 4
The Rhythms Of Dance 3

I thoroughly enjoyed completing VCE Art during 2010. It was a challenging subject that required lots of time and
effort; however I felt it all paid off with the successful completion of my folio and four final pieces.

My initial concept was to explore classical dance and the type of movement it involved. I was motivated by my
personal experience and passion for dance, which began at a young age. I was interested in the flowing, light,
graceful and fluid qualities that are captured in dance and wanted to somehow recreate these qualities.

This initial idea led me to brainstorm possible directions and explore a range of materials and techniques. This
eventually culminated in the creation of a sculpture suspended above the ground at the end of Unit 3. It comprised of
three ribbon-like metal structures. Through this piece I wanted to demonstrate that whilst dancers may appear to be
moving gracefully and effortlessly, they are very strong.

After Unit 3, I reassessed the direction of my folio and decided to explore an abstract drawing style that I had
developed during my spare time. Despite changing the stylistic direction of my folio, the movement of dance remained
my inspiration. This led me to investigate line, colour, space, size and layering as well as to develop symbols
representing different aspects of dance including movement, costuming, music and lighting. I completed numerous
trials, exhausting all possible options that I thought could be interesting before refining my ideas and creating two
more final pieces. The patterns evoke a strong sense of movement and reflect the intricacy and complexity of dance.
Dancers appear to be moving with ease but they are actually putting a lot of effort in, to achieve the correct
technique and perform difficult steps. The highly energetic patterns also reflect my personal emotions linked with
dance and performance. My favourite piece is the one combining the patterns and transforming silhouette of the
dancer.

I then proceeded to experiment with a cruder patterned painting style inspired by A.R. Penck. I decided to produce
a fourth larger piece incorporating this less refined and more expressive style. The bold black and white
brushstrokes on two layered pieces of plywood with curved patterns cut out, captures not only a sense of movement but
also the raw emotions felt when dancing.

I took a fairly structured approach to producing my folio. I preferred it being neat and easy to understand. I
consistently added to my folio throughout the year and completed numerous two and three-dimensional trials. I was
always looking out for possible sources of inspiration. I was not only inspired by my personal experience but other
artists as well. Investigating and creating work about a topic I was passionate about made my work far more enjoyable
and I therefore put a lot more effort into it. I tried to utilise the analytical frameworks within my folio on a
regular basis to not only explain my work but to also demonstrate other possible ways people could interpret my work.

I am happy with my folio of work and the final pieces I created, as I believe they meet my initial intentions of
capturing the qualities of dance.

Dominique Blowes
St Collumba's College, Essendon
Suitable for VCE