Interview with Oana Rotariu
Focus of discussion: Our Paper Portraits exploration

Investigation with Paper Portraits

As a continuation of our work with paper portarits, I along with another student, Oana, wanted to explore different ways of creating scores with our work and using the paper to roll in...

We began by first going over our previous material stimulated by our portraits... We then explored movement on, underneath and around our 'movement portraits'... The most interesting moment in this exploration was lying underneath the paper and using the rips and tears in the paper to reveal parts of the body...
This section is intended to symbolise our own selves, our personality and our own movement interests...

We then moved on to investigate how it would feel to use someone else's portrait... looking at how they move and what areas of the body they are most fond of... we made contact with parts of the portrait to stimulate movement in the others body...

We also wanted to investigate the possibilities of doing the roll in paper as a duet... This made it difficult to roll and explore and we were very dependent on each other, responding to each others moments of stillness as well as the speed of the roll... I think this looked really effective especially when we both emerged from the paper.
This section is intended to symbolise us bringing together our two personalities, combining our movement, experiences and going on an adventure together...
Tearing off pieces of the paper we created a physical representation of our 'hearts'. These we then offered to each other as a symbol of friendship...

A really enjoyable and intriguing experience!!

'Paper Portraits' 3

This week we explored the idea of the sculpture of the body - in a very literal sense!

We first rolled and bound ourselves up in a large roll of paper. We then explored the movement possibilities in this state, investigating and discovering how the paper restricted or influenced our movement and how it moved around us...

The paper eventually began to tear and fall apart around us... As it did though, it made some fascinating costumes, as parts of the paper fell away while others remained...

Some thoughts while witnessing...

body parts appearing and disappearing

stillness

dead body

bed, safety, comfort

three-dimensional statue

cocoon, chrysallis

emerging

ripping

escaping

Some thoughts while exploring...

I thought initially that I would feel claustrophobic inside the paper - bound up really tight without being able to see, I was therefore a bit apprehensive!

However, once I started rolling I really enjoyed it and found it comforting the have the paper around me...

The whole experience inside the paper was a lot lighter and more giving than I thought it would be and I really got into exploring the movement possible in this 'sculptural costume'...

I didn't want to finish or leave my paper costume!! 

"Paper Portraits 2"

Developing our work from the previous week, we explored the meaning of a self-portrait in a more literal sense.

We were asked to draw a representation of ourselves on the paper, drawing the body including layers such as bones and organs. However, we were only allowed to draw using our mouth and feet to hold the pen!

This was a fascinating exercise that allowed us to really concentrate on the parts of the body that were important to us as individuals. We could then use these portraits as a movement score to develop a short movement phrase. This was great fun and very interesting as even though the picture was me, it also wasn't me and made me move in a different way to how I would normally...