Carali McCall (London, UK)
Work no. 1 (Circle Drawing) Online Performance, 2017 (duration 90 min)
Watch: 13th May 2017 at 1:30 pm UTC
DESCRIPTION: Approaching the body as a tool, I embrace the idea that the artist is not only physically present in the act of drawing but also brings an experience to the work that exceeds the object of art (be it through the body in live performance, video or sound recording, or photograph). Following the trajectory of art practices that consider drawing and performance a conceptual, temporal and liminal process for negotiation or change; I consider drawing to be a cognitive process, an act of thinking through the body, and seek ways to test and explore physical limits. My artwork and research proposes that drawing is not only connected to movement but can be located in a larger inquiry into the performative nature of human activity. For the online live performance: Using a stick of graphite on large paper, as a live online performance, I will draw circles the diameter of my arm, between 1hr – 2hrs continuously. Due to the speed and effort and pressures of drawing, every performance presents a different result. The fragility of the paper sometimes rips in the paper emerge, or the skin on my knuckle tears and traces of blood are left on the work.
BIO: Carali McCall is a Canadian-born artist based in London UK. Her practice explores movement and the role of the body in drawing. It addresses how duration, expenditure of energy and imposed restrictions on the body can contribute to a greater awareness of what it means to draw.She was awarded her PhD at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, UAL and completed her MFA at Slade School of Art, UCL. Recent and upcoming exhibitions include EMPIRE II @ Castello, Venice Italy 2017, Gallery 46 Whitechapel, London, 2016, Folkestone Fringe Triennial 2014, Performance Space, London, 2013 and ‘Again and Again and Again: Serial Formats and Repetitive Actions’ Vancouver Art Gallery, Canada, 2012. Artist Website