Jean Abreu in Blood, which uses projections based on Gilbert & George images. Photograph: Paul Scala
It was partly a mutual interest in blood and bodily fluids that led the Brazilian choreographer and performer Jean Abreu to approach Gilbert & George to ask if he could use their art in his new show.
They said yes, and Abreu selected 25 images from works created between 1996 and 1998 to create a visual backdrop for his new work Blood, which will open in May in Colchester before travelling to Leicester and the Linbury studio theatre at the Royal Opera House in London.
It is the first time the artists have allowed their work to be used in dance. The reason for that is simple. “Never been asked before,” they said, adding that Abreu was “a clearly talented dance artist who we respect and believe in”.
Abreu was particularly inspired by G&G’s The Fundamental Pictures with their microscopic celebration of bodily fluids.
The Italian software artists Mirko Arcese and Luca Biada use motion-capture technology and animation to create projections, using the G&G images, which respond to Abreu’s movements and speech in the show. The fashion designer Richard Nicoll has created a white suit for Abreu that acts as a screen for the projections and Paul Wolinski from the band 65daysofstatic has written the score.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010
Published via the Guardian News Feed plugin for WordPress.
