2013 ongoing

Duration minimum 30 minutes – 90 minutes or longer

1 Unfolding spine is part of the evolving series of durational drawing scores She’s only doing this which are performed in gallery-like situations and adapted to different scales and architectural formats. They can be performed solo or with multiple performers – sometimes with live feed projection presenting an aerial view of the live drawing event unfolding on the ground. The score works with paper and willow charcoal or chalk on street or gallery floor. The material residue can be left as installation and returned to by performer(s).

A performer moves and draws on the ground with her limbs organised around her bowed spinal axis. She works on her knees low to the horizontal surface, breathing and drawing while retreating backwards over the paper sheet.

Her eyes resist following the line that she draws whilst still aiming for each line to be parallel to the previous. She co-ordinates breathing line and drawing line –  breath follows line and line follows breath including the turn of breath between in and out. 

As lining and breathing sync in a real-time working, line is breathed and breath is scored.

Lines appear and spread over the surface of the paper on either side of an emerging central track and a kind of flat diagram of the body unfolds. Charcoal as a fragile brittle material punctuates the event and continual rhythmic flow of movement.         

Developed with support from Dartington Space Residency November 2012 UK