Molly Davies: A Video Installation
October 7 - December 31, 2011
Known for her richly textured work using multi-channel video, monitors, and projections, Molly Davies’ video installation opens Friday, October 7 in the Amy E. Tarrant Gallery. The exhibit runs through Saturday, December 31 with an opening reception Friday, October 7 from 5:30 to 8 pm. Davies' work is known for immersing the audience in a meditative encounter with the subject. This exhibition includes three underwater film and video works from three different decades.
Sea Tails (1983) is a three-channel, six monitor piece that integrates an evocative electronic score by David Tudor with film footage of French artist Jackie Matisse’s underwater kite tails. This collaboration results in a mesmerizing abstraction of color and form. Originally presented at the Centre Georges Pompidou, this piece is in the permanent collection of the Getty Research Institute.
The installation at the Flynn includes 16 original kite tails by Jackie Matisse. Swimming (1999) is a single monitor piece; the underwater footage of choreographer Polly Motley swimming becomes a slow motion sensual dance of dislocated time and space. Blue Sonnambula (2008) is also a single monitor piece: from a fixed focal point, under water, a young girl spins in a swimming pool, oblivious to the boys harassing her. This small event becomes a glorious celebration of unconscious beauty.
Davies became well-known in the 1970s for her innovative work with film and performance, collaborating with musicians and artists including John Cage, David Tudor, Takehisa Kosugi, Lou Harrison, Michael Nyman, Alvin Curran, Fred Firth, Suzushi Hanayagi, Sage Cowles, Polly Motley, Jackie Matisse, and Anne Carson. Her work in film, multimedia performance, and video installation has been presented at such sites as the Venice Film Festival, The Centre Pompidou Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Musée d'Art Contemporain de Lyon, The Getty Research Institute, Theatre Am Turm, The Whitney Museum, The Walker Art Center, Asia Society, The Kitchen, La Mama Etc., Dance Theatre Workshop, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, and The Indonesian Dance Festival. Her video installation work is in the collections of The Getty Research Institute, Musée d'Art Contemporain de Lyon, and The Walker Art Center. A solo show of Molly Davies’ video installation works was presented at Zone Chelsea, NYC in 2006. She did an installation for DIVA (Digital and Video Art) in Paris, October 2006, and an installation for DIVA New York in February 2007. Danspace @ Baryshnikov Arts Center presented Traditions, Inventions, Exchange in June 2009. The installation Critical State, was presented at River Arts in Morrisville, VT in 2010 and September 2011.