Final Assignment: Voice

Keywords: voice, textile/fiber art, and digital painting

Sketches: 

Final:

     I want to create a piece inspired by contact improvisation dance exercises, where we communicate through movement. Our voices are inside our bodies and are expressed through them. In this work, I interpret voice as a nonverbal expression that emerges through gesture, touch, and movement. There is a fluidity in every form we make, and it feels like there are endless possibilities shaping our conversation. Most importantly, the conversation is transformative and ongoing, with consent from both parties. It is also about being present and responding to the moment. I find the process inspiring and meditative. There is a sense of trust that builds over time with others. It is about observing and interacting with each other through touch. Moreover, everyone can enter and exit the conversation at any time, which makes it very inclusive and consensual. There is a beauty in organically moving our bodies.

    For my three key prompts: voice, textile/fiber art, and digital painting, I decided to use a traditional watercolor background to show the energy of the room, which is free-flowing and reflects the presence of multiple voices in motion. I then used textiles to portray body gestures because they convey movement very well. For the digital painting, I scanned the traditional artwork and added a short animation digitally to further express the dynamic and evolving nature of these voices. In the end, I really like how the final piece turned out. It feels very soothing and captures the essence of the dance well. I would like to further explore movement-based conversation. I believe that our bodies can express themselves too!