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Unearthed: Chris Ofili paints his latest work on living, moving canvases Unearthed: Chris Ofili paints his latest work on living, moving canvases
(about 3 hours later)
This weekend, for two hours each night, the Turner prizewinning artist Chris Ofili will be swapping his usual canvas to paint the bodies of eight dancers.This weekend, for two hours each night, the Turner prizewinning artist Chris Ofili will be swapping his usual canvas to paint the bodies of eight dancers.
"It's a really amazing thing to do because as you are painting the line is alive, the brush stroke is alive but the person is alive as well," he said. "Especially as these dancers don't ever stand still.""It's a really amazing thing to do because as you are painting the line is alive, the brush stroke is alive but the person is alive as well," he said. "Especially as these dancers don't ever stand still."
Ofili has collaborated with choreographer Aakash Odedra and the dancers of the Royal Ballet for Unearthed, part of Sampling the Myth, a three-night programme exploring ancient myths through modern performance and visual art at the Royal Opera House.Ofili has collaborated with choreographer Aakash Odedra and the dancers of the Royal Ballet for Unearthed, part of Sampling the Myth, a three-night programme exploring ancient myths through modern performance and visual art at the Royal Opera House.
Recreating the Greek myth of prometheus and the creation of the first man from clay, the piece brings together the Indian classical dance, Kathak, with the traditional form of ballet, creating what Odedra called a "raw and primitive confluence of two cultures". Recreating the Greek myth of Prometheus and the creation of the first man from clay, the piece brings together the Indian classical dance, Kathak, with the traditional form of ballet, creating what Odedra called a "raw and primitive confluence of two cultures".
Ofili is individually painting each of the striking figures for each performance, which opens on Friday.Ofili is individually painting each of the striking figures for each performance, which opens on Friday.
"The central character prometheus is very ornately painted on his hands and face, and then there is the clay man, the eagle and then five types of fire," he said. "The central character, Prometheus, is very ornately painted on his hands and face, and then there is the clay man, the eagle and then five types of fire," he said.
"In Trinidad where I live, in dry season you get all of these forest fires on the hillside so when I was working on this I actually had a lot of opportunity just to look at fire in all its different forms. So one of the dancers, pink flame as we call her, was directly inspired by that. And the character of clay man is what prometheus is trying to make in his own image, he's like a crude approximate of how he sees himself, so the lines of the clay man's face have been painted with just my fingers rather than with a brush to illustrate that." "In Trinidad, where I live, in dry season you get all of these forest fires on the hillside so when I was working on this I actually had a lot of opportunity just to look at fire in all its different forms. So one of the dancers, Pink Flame as we call her, was directly inspired by that. And the character of the clay man is what Prometheus is trying to make in his own image, he's like a crude approximate of how he sees himself, so the lines of the clay man's face have been painted with just my fingers rather than with a brush to illustrate that."
Ofili said he had sketched out the body art in watercolours before the dance had even been choreographed, with Odedra then designing the movement and dance around the designs. With just two hours to paint all eight dancers each night, Ofili said he was struck by how different each piece of skin was under the stroke of a paintbrush. Ofili said he had sketched the body art in watercolours before the dance had even been choreographed, with Odedra then designing the movement and dance around the designs. With just two hours to paint all eight dancers each night, Ofili said he was struck by how different each piece of skin was under the stroke of a paintbrush.
"It's quite special really to see these designs come alive. It's quite strange really because the dancers really take on the characters. Dancers are unique in that you give them something or dress them in a particular way and they will behave like that character, so they are like blank canvases really. They take what you give them and then run with it and fuse it with their own imagination and skills." "It's quite special really to see these designs come alive. It's quite strange because the dancers really take on the characters. Dancers are unique in that you give them something or dress them in a particular way and they will behave like that character, so they are like blank canvases."
For Odedra, one of the most sought after contemporary choreographers, the myth of the primitive birth of man was an important theme for a piece of dance that attempts to break away from the traditional strict confines of ballet. For Odedra, one of the most sought-after choreographers, the myth of the birth of man was an important theme for a piece of dance that attempts to break from the traditional confines of ballet.
"It's interesting because ballet has had quite a long period of refinement, just like Kathak, Indian classical dance," he said. "So what I wanted to work with was the idea of how do you go from something which is really refined and pure and work in reverse to turn it into something that is very raw, but still using the essence of this traditional form of ballet they are trained in."It's interesting because ballet has had quite a long period of refinement, just like Kathak, Indian classical dance," he said. "So what I wanted to work with was the idea of how do you go from something which is really refined and pure and work in reverse to turn it into something that is very raw, but still using the essence of this traditional form of ballet they are trained in.
"The topic that I chose was the first man made from clay, the myth of prometheus, so I really wanted this quality to come from the earth and be very primal and ritualistic in the dance. The piece is about stripping away the masks that we hide behind. As we grow older, we learn different mannerisms, different ways of behaving in front of people and when you take those masks away, all these characters we play throughout our life, what remains? Those are the questions I want the piece to explore." "The piece is about stripping away the masks that we hide behind. As we grow older, we learn different mannerisms, different ways of behaving in front of people and when you take those masks away, all these characters we play throughout our life, what remains? Those are the questions I want the piece to explore."
Just 18 minutes long with eight dancers, the piece also has music specially composed by Mercury prizewinning composer Talvin Singh.Just 18 minutes long with eight dancers, the piece also has music specially composed by Mercury prizewinning composer Talvin Singh.
Recalling his discussion with Singh about what music would be suited to the fusion of eastern and western dance, Odedra said: "With the music, what I didn't want is a recipe for curry. I didn't want this music to be inundated with spices and instead have some space to breathe." Recalling his discussion with Singh about what music would be suited to the fusion of eastern and western dance, Odedra said: "What I didn't want was a recipe for curry. I didn't want this music to be inundated with spices, and instead want it to have some space to breathe."
However, Odedra admitted that working with dancers from the Royal Ballet who had certain strict regimens and traditional movements ingrained in them from childhood and introducing them to the idea of instinct and individuality within their dance had been both a challenge and a "process of discovery." However, Odedra admitted that working with dancers from the Royal Ballet, who had certain strict regimens and traditional movements ingrained in them from childhood, and introducing them to the idea of instinct and individuality within their dance had been both a challenge and a process of discovery.
"It took a lot of trial and error with the dancers and getting them used to this new movement," he said. "I had to work with them slowly, slowly adding layers – almost texture – in movement and eventually coming up with a language that becomes a confluence of two cultures, two different disciplines that are moving towards the same objective: this primal, unearthed place." "It took a lot of trial and error with the dancers and getting them used to this new movement," he said. "I had to work with them slowly; slowly adding layers – almost texture – in movement and eventually coming up with a language that becomes a confluence of two cultures, two different disciplines that are moving towards the same objective: this primal, unearthed place."
The collaboration with Ofili, he added, had been essential to the vision of the piece and the telling of the myth. The collaboration with Ofili, he added, had been essential to the vision of the piece and the telling of the myth. "Having Chris's work as part of the dance really allowed the tribal element, the real essence of humanity to come through as well as visually move it away from the refined, clean ballet we are used to seeing," Odedra said.
"Having Chris's work as part of the dance really allowed the tribal element, the real essence of humanity to come through as well as visually move it away from the refined, clean ballet we are used to seeing," Odedra said. "The figure of the clay man, for example, is fully painted, but at the end of the piece his paint smudges and becomes almost like clay. In the dance I wanted to see him lose his form, almost lose the shape of humanity – like we are going backwards – and Chris's painting really allowed that idea to explode in the piece."
"The figure of the clay man, for example, is fully painted but at the end of the piece his paint smudges and becomes almost like clay. In the dance I wanted to see him lose his form, almost lose the shape of humanity – like we are going backwards – and Chris's painting really allowed that idea to explode in the piece."
It was a view echoed by Marcelino Sambé, the show's principal dancer and a first artist of the Royal Ballet, who said that having the art on their bodies heightened the awareness of their own physicality on stage.It was a view echoed by Marcelino Sambé, the show's principal dancer and a first artist of the Royal Ballet, who said that having the art on their bodies heightened the awareness of their own physicality on stage.
He said: "It is amazing to feel like you have become this living, breathing piece of art; it really helped us engage with the completely new and challenging vocabulary of dance that Aakash has introduced us to."He said: "It is amazing to feel like you have become this living, breathing piece of art; it really helped us engage with the completely new and challenging vocabulary of dance that Aakash has introduced us to."
"Indian classical dance is so different from the traditional ballet movements I am used to and was very difficult to master" Sambé added. "But Aakash is so talented, he is off the roof, and his fusion of Indian classical movement with ballet has made this such an incredible and interesting piece.""Indian classical dance is so different from the traditional ballet movements I am used to and was very difficult to master" Sambé added. "But Aakash is so talented, he is off the roof, and his fusion of Indian classical movement with ballet has made this such an incredible and interesting piece."
Sampling the Myth runs from 5-7 September as part of the Deloitte Ignite contemporary arts festival. Tickets £15 / £5 standing. Sampling the Myth runs from 5-7 September as part of the Deloitte Ignite contemporary arts festival. Tickets are £15, or £5 for standing.