Exercises
The Katherine E. Nash Gallery is proud to present an exhibition of drawings by internationally acclaimed choreographer Merce Cunningham. Titled Exercises, the exhibition opens October 11 and runs through November 10, 2005.
Most people know of Merce Cunningham’s work in the field of dance; few people know that he is also a visual artist. Without exception, he begins each day by making a drawing in one of his Rhodia pads as part of a daily journal he keeps. They’re very small, and a way for me to think about drawing where it doesn’t feel elaborate, he says. Then I write something about whatever I’m about that day. That’s usually not that interesting, since what you do is mostly repetitive. I get into a kind of habit. It’s like dancing. You get into habits about how you’re supposed to move every day. In an entry from 1996, he writes: What a marvelous absorbing task these drawings are! Nothing to do with gain or loss, only an experience absorbing all your (meager) observing faculties; even for a few moments, the world sinks into a single thing not in time nor space. It is a lucky find for one’s health. These delightful drawings stand alone as works of art; they also provide an insight into Cunningham’s mind works.
Thomas Rose, curator and Department of Art faculty member, comments on the exhibition:
This exhibition, “Exercises,” is the celebration of the spirit of collaboration in all its variations. Merce Cunningham’s work is a model for how the arts can unite to create new forms of expression. We know his choreography, but this exhibition of elemental drawings allows us a glimpse into his private world: a world of pleasure in looking, and pleasure in the exercise of the human imagination.
This is the first time this work has been exhibited in the Twin Cities, and the first time it has been exhibited in relationship to Cunningham’s other work; accompanying the 37 drawings and notations will be videos of dance pieces “Inlets” and “Walk Around Time” (a collaboration with Jasper Johns) and a set piece from “Stories” that was designed by Robert Rauschenberg.
Exercises, the drawings of Merce Cunningham is sponsored by the Department of Art, the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance, the College of Liberal Arts, and William Henderson. A specially-designed catalogue complements the exhibition.
The opening reception on October 14 will include performances of Cunningham’s “Inlets 2” by University of Minnesota dance students at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. in the Barbara Barker Center for Dance, across the street from the Nash Gallery.
The Lecture
Bonnie Brooks, chair of the Columbia College ( Chicago) dance department, will give a talk entitled, "How To Watch A Cunningham Concert: Eight Entry Points and Three Exit
Strategies." This event is Tuesday, November 1 at 7:00 p.m. at the Rarig Center, and is free and open to the public.
Talking Dance
Right on the heels of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company's 50th Anniversary, this modern master sits down for a convivial conversation with Minneapolis' own Sage Cowles. Cunningham reflects on the company's distinguished history, what inspires him now, new directions in dance, and much more. Widely credited as the catalyst for a number of major revolutions not only in choreography but in a variety of artistic disciplines, this engagement is rare chance to share the evening with a living legend.
The Honorary Degree
The honorary Doctor of Humane Letters is the highest honor conferred by the University of Minnesota. An honorary degree is awarded to individuals who have achieved acknowledged eminence in cultural affairs, public service, or in a field of knowledge and scholarship. To date, 211 individuals have been awarded honorary doctorates from the U of M, and their ranks include Frank Gehry, Walter Mondale, Sigurd Olson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Madeleine Albright, Sandra Day O’Connor and August Wilson.
Cunningham was nominated for this degree because of his outstanding artistic achievements, lifelong passion for learning and experimentation, his commitment to dance as a living art, and his unique talents for creating challenging visions with the human body. His lifelong practice of collaborating with and commissioning composers, painters, sculptors, and designers has influenced all of the arts.
In addition, he has had a deep connection to Minneapolis and profound influence on the University of Minnesota dance program. His activity in Minneapolis dates to 1963 with a performance sponsored by the Walker Art Center. His company has performed six times at Northrop Auditorium, which has commissioned three new works from him. Cunningham’s influence on the U of M Dance Program has included guest residencies by several present and former Cunningham dancers. U of M students regularly study and perform his rigorous works, including the piece “Inlets 2” which will be performed during the opening reception for the “Exercises” exhibition on October 14.
The Performance
The Merce Cunningham Dance Company will perform on Friday, November 4 at Northrop Auditorium. This performance by the 14-member company features a program with Cunningham masterworks from three phases of his 50 years of choreography, including SUITE FOR FIVE (1956-58) with music by John Cage from “Music for Piano” and costumes by Robert Rauschenberg; NATIVE GREEN (1985), with music by John King, “Gliss in Sighs”; and SPLIT SIDES (2003) with music by Sigur Rós and Radiohead. Split Sides begins with a public display of the “chance” procedures (a roll of dice) that will determine the evening’s sequence of elements in the dance: costumes, choreography, lighting, music and décor. There are 32 possible experiences to be had of Split Sides, most likely making each performance a once-a-lifetime viewing.
About Merce Cunningham
Cunningham received his first formal dance and theater training at the Cornish School (now Cornish college of the Arts) in Seattle. From 1939 to 1945, he was a soloist with Martha Graham’s company. He presented his first New York solo concert in April 1944 with John Cage, his lifetime partner. The Merce Cunningham Dance Company was formed at Black Mountain College in the summer of 1953. Since that time Cunningham has choreographed nearly 200 works for his company. His work has also been presented by the New York City Ballet, the Ballet of the Paris Opera, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, White Oak Dance Project, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Zurich Ballet, and Rambert Dance Company ( London) among others.
Cunningham developed a method of creating known as “Chance Operations.” He would invite a musician to create a score and an artist to create a visual environment while he created choreography. Each would work separately and then they would unite the elements for the first time on stage before an audience. He was thrilled with this process, creating work that could never have been created through traditional collaboration. Those dances that do not work are dropped from the repertory. Those that do work are considered successful accidents. “Chance Operations” is similar to improvisation, a tool of creation used by many artists in a variety of disciplines.
At 86 years of age, Cunningham continues to create new work for and travel with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.
