Movere | Colorare | Licht | Deorc

(Movement, Color, Light, Dark)

Movere | Colorare | Licht | Deorc is the working title of a photographic project being produced by me, Jim McNulty. The project will be developed and worked on throughout 2017 and early 2018, with work to be completed and displayed at a gallery show on April 21, 2018. My 50th birthday is April 22, 2018, so the show will be a celebration of the project’s completion, a display of the work, a fundraiser for a local non-profit, and my 50th birthday party.

The Work

The pictures to be displayed at the end of the project will be taken during a one-day shoot in late 2017 or early 2018. The first-choice location for the shoot is the Rothko Chapel (www.rothkochapel.org)  located in Houston, TX. The process to seek permission to use the space will start in Spring 2017. The organization which controls the Chapel places substantial restrictions on usage, photography and lighting inside the facility. It is hoped that the artistic and spiritual nature of the project will appeal to the organization that runs the Chapel and that permission will be granted to use the facility for the shoot. If permission cannot be secured, an alternative location will be sought that replicates the desired characteristics of the Rothko Chapel as closely as possible.

The current plan is for the pictures to be long-exposure color images of dancers in motion. The neutral/black geometric nature of the the Rothko Chapel’s interior will provide a solid, contrasting foundation to fluid, colorful, sweeping human figures in motion. In addition to being motion studies of the dancer’s movement, the theme of spirituality will be underlying all of the images. A diverse group of dancers will be sought, and discussions between the dancers and photographer will occur during the months leading up to the shoot. Although projects like this evolve over time, the initial overarching idea is to have the dancers express their inner most feelings of spirituality in front of the camera. The photographer will take this expression and create the pictures. There may be personal objects belonging to the dancers placed in the pictures to add stationary definition and context to the abstract figures the dancers will create. The dancers and the light falling on them will be the paint; the camera will be the palette and the photographer will be the painter. The current plan is to have 5 - 10 dancers involved as subjects with 15 - 20 images in the final show.

Rothko Chapel Interior:

Background

Although many photographers have experimented with long-exposure dance images, the genesis of this specific project came out of a ‘happy accident’ in December 2012. I was shooting a ‘Christmas Carol’ production rehearsal and left some camera settings in place from a previous scene while starting to shoot a new scene. The following image was the result:

Although it was technically quite ‘wrong’, I became immediately fascinated with the result. Subsequent online research lead to finding other photographers who had developed similar techniques. I worked on refining and practicing with varying levels of success over the following few years. A short series of pictures with one dancer is on permanent display at the Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) facility in Madison. This work, 'Emergence', was a ‘baby step’ in expressing what is desired out of this current larger project.

‘Emergence’, 2014:

The overall vision for the project has been unfolding over several years. The desire to develop a project on a larger scale using long exposure techniques and revolving around a broad theme has been developing since the completion of Emergence. A visit to Rothko Chapel during the summer of 2015 had a strong spiritual impact on me which has never left. I have been working through many iterations of the idea of color long-exposure pictures on a background similar to the Chapel since then, and in 2016, the specific idea to try and shoot in the Chapel itself crystallized in my mind. For a banker that works and lives in Wisconsin, shooting dancers in a chapel in Texas and having a show to display the resulting images publicly is a far-fetched and artistically scary idea. The project has taken hold in my mind, however, and will not let go. During the 2nd half of 2016, I spent personal time working through various approaches and talking the details of the project out with several trusted friends. Everyone basically said ‘do it’, so here I am, writing it down, discussing the project publicly and taking the steps to try and make it a reality.

The Show

The current vision is to have a show in a facility large enough to host approximately 100 people. The current first-choice facility is The Lageret, a renovated tobacco warehouse which now serves as an event facility in downtown Stoughton, Wisconsin. This facility has historic charm and is personally important to me since it once was the location of a dance studio where my daughters started their own dance training many years ago. The organization that owns and operates the facility will be contacted in Spring 2017 to see if the facility is available and what costs would be involved. If this facility cannot be secured, a similar ‘open room’ facility will be located in the greater-Madison area.

A show held in one or two larger rooms with the framed images displayed (either wall or easel-hung) is the current vision. The show overall will be informal with attendees browsing and viewing the pictures. I have several friends who are craft brewers and small boutique food purveyors. If possible, having them provide personally crafted food and drink to the attendees would add additional charm and enjoyment to the event.

There will also be a fundraising component to the evening. I have worked with DAIS in Madison for many years, serving on their Board and volunteering in other capacities. There are initial financial details outlined in ‘Budget and Funding’ below, but in general, net proceeds from any sponsorships, fundraising, ticketing and picture sales are planned to be donated to DAIS.

Practice

The general techniques involved with producing the project, as well as general photographic skills overall, are something I possess. There is much work to be done, however, on practicing and honing the specific techniques needed to make this vision become a reality. Once the specific location for the final shoot is secured, work will begin to hone the necessary technique leading up to the final day of shooting. Some of the initial needs include:

• Specific lighting equipment and techniques based the specifics of the project and to work with any restrictions that are placed on the final shoot location.
• Experimenting with different options for the long-exposure techniques. Neutral density filter arrangements, incorporating static and/or strobe lighting, and camera movement in relation to subject are some initial techniques to be further explored and refined.

As is the case with many artistic endeavors, the final product will probably differ from what is initially envisioned. Techniques and outputs develop over time which is an integral part of the process of craft, preparation and discovery. Many hours will need to be invested to honor the process and to let ideas and technique evolve in preparation for the final day of shooting.

Timeline

April/May 2017

• Secure location and date for final photo shoot.
• Secure location for final show event.

June/July 2017

• Complete budget and funding plan.
• Explore Kickstarter-type project to involve participants and supporters, raise funds for project expenses and to work towards charitable contribution.
• Begin technical practice

August - November 2017

• Choose dancers for subjects. Have ongoing discussions with dancers regarding their attendance and specific performances.
• Work on logistics for final shoot.
• Continue technical practice.

December 2017 - Late February 2018

• Finalize choices and discussions with dancers on their project performances.
• Complete technical practice prior to final shoot.
• Start preparations for the final show event.
• Conduct the photo shoot.

March - April 2018

• Edit images for production.
• Have images printed and framed.
• Continue preparations for the final event.

April 21, 2018

•  The show.

Budget and Funding

A detailed budget will be developed as outlined in the timeline above. Overall, the capacity most likely exists for me to personally support the expenses associated with the project. It is a hope that part of this project, however, will include the involvement of interested friends and other people that are met as the project develops. If a successful Kickstarter-like program can be developed, it could build involvement and engage a larger circle of people.  This would assist in not only raising funds to offset costs, but would maximize the ability of the project to donate a material level of funds for the charitable beneficiary.

The initial Kickstarter-type project would offer typical differing levels of support including:

• ‘Tickets’ for a modest donation which would allow attendance at the final show.
• Sponsorships that would allow interested parties to support specific parts of the project and event, purchase related merchandise which could be developed, attend the actual shoot to assist with the work, and purchase limited production prints in advance of the final show.

Costs that will be incurred include the following:

• Potential equipment upgrades, most likely modest equipment and lighting needs.
• Expenses associated with getting the photographer, support people and dancers to the final shoot (travel expenses, lodging, food, etc.).
• Payment for the performers if needed.
• Rental and other costs associated with the shoot at the Rothko Chapel or alternative shoot site.
• Printing and framing of the final images.
• Rental costs for the facility hosting the final show.
• Food and drink costs for the final show.

Next Steps

As of April 2017, permission work is in motion for the shoot and final show locations.  A blog will also be developed soon to post updates on the project as it develops.