Carali McCall and Jane Grisewood presented their paper, The Sense of Drawing: An Approach to Drawing, Marking and Experiencing Time, at the 6^th UNIDCOM/IADE International Conference in Lisbon on 6 October. The paper discusses collaborative drawing practice through their work together and in the performance drawing collective with Birgitta Hosea and Maryclare Foá, focusing on two previous works that address drawing as way of knowing and communicating how the body traces and experiences duration. It references Fluxus, and engages with theories and concepts by Deleuze and Merleau-Ponty to develop the notion of becoming and the experience of the body in space and time.

In addition to the paper, on the preceding day at the DRN conference, Carali and Jane performed a new work that explores the physicality of ‘drawing a line’. Shifting beyond drawing that marks, testing the energy and reciprocity between their bodies in movement – and significantly shifting the idea of observational drawing to exploring the performative act of drawing. Joined to each other by 10 metres of latex band tied around their bodies their physical movements enabled a way of communicating. The stretch and pull of the band measured their distance and their location, while bringing awareness to the demands of the body drawing. Spontaneous movements re-directed and influenced the other – conflicting and negotiating. On each side of the room, they mimicked the movements of drawing the ancient tiles, both visually tracing and touching the walls to perform drawing – the line was drawn, the temporary material trace existed, but leaving no visible mark.

The event was held in the historic Antigo Tribunal da Boa-Hora centrally located in downtown Lisbon, alongside the design Biennale EXD’11. Originally built as a convent in 1633, it was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake, later becoming Lisbon’s main courthouse for 165 years, closing in 2009. During the dictatorship years many important resistance fighters and political prisoners stood trial here. The ‘waiting’ room outside the courtroom, where Carali and Jane had just been in a life-drawing workshop, and unknown to them before, was the chosen space for their performance. The restraints and difficulties of drawing while tied together by the latex band were even more poignant and complex during the performance. Moving around the space physically tied together was collaboration, not just between the performers, but with the space, the audience and the history.

Carali McCall and Jane Grisewood are presenting their paper, The Sense of Drawing: An Approach to Drawing, Marking and Experiencing Time, at the 6th UNIDCOM/IADE International Conference in Lisbon on 6 October. The paper discusses collaborative drawing practice through their work in the performance drawing collective with Birgitta Hosea and Maryclare Foá, focusing on two previous works that address drawing as way of knowing and communicating how the body traces and experiences duration. It references Fluxus, and engages with theories and concepts by Deleuze and Merleau-Ponty to develop the notion of becoming and the experience of the body in space and time.

In addition to the paper, on the preceding day at the DRN conference, Carali and Jane will be performing a new work that explores the physicality of ‘drawing a line’. Shifting beyond drawing that marks, it will test the energy and reciprocity between their bodies in movement.

This survey curated by  Andrew Hewish of the Centre for Recent Drawing (C4RD) London, seeks to present the vibrancy and depth of drawing production in London and Berlin. From recent graduates to the well established, these artists operate from within an understanding of the complexities of drawing values, of Anschlussel: speculative, connective, unorthodox – unlocking links wherever a line might lead. The exhibition will transfer to Centre for Recent Drawing, London, in 2012.

Included in this exhibition are Maryclare Foa’s works – Drawing Your Desire (2006) and Line Down Manhattan (2003).

Drawing Your Desire (2006)

Line Down Manhattan (2003)

Video of the performance was transmitted live back to the Papay Nights Festival via SKYPE and was projected as part of the Festival’s Opening Night. The performance featured spoken word commentary transmitted by SKYPE from one of the group’s members who was in Australia.

Announcing a live performance connecting London and the island of Papay Westray as part of the Papay Gyro Nights Festival, Orkney.

The stars that burn in the night sky were used as an ancient guide to navigation. This live telematic drawing performance will contrast  ancient and modern forms as it travels via telecommunications satellites at the speed of light between Papa Westray and London.

A camera in Papa Westray will point at the night sky and transmit video images and atmospheric sound live through SKYPE to London. These sounds and images will be projected in a gallery space and the group will make spontaneous drawings as they chart the night sky in Papa Westray.

A camera in London records the live drawings as they are created and a live video feed will be sent back to Papa Westray via SKYPE, where it will be projected onto a wall in front of festival attendees.

For more information see www.papaygyronights.ubahob.com.

Complimenting the speakers were a series of poster presentations that included a poster by Drawn Together which engaged the conference participants in dialogue. Getting a special mention for its ‘sociability’, this poster invited conference attendees to draw for us or to give us instructions for future drawings.