AMENDA TATE

LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY

Artist Statement:

In Latin, the word Manibus means “from the hand.” I created the Manibus robotic painting device to utilize as an extension of the artist’s hand. A dancer wears a motion-sensing remote directing Manibus to render an artistic depiction of elapsed time and motion. Using this tool, I capture and translate the movement and visceral dynamics of dance into painted works of art. 

I facilitate collaborative processes as a director combining the necessary components for creating the work of art. With a nod to Abstract Expressionism, I allow for spontaneity in the mark, but utilize my own set of constraints to orchestrate order in the process. I determine the scale, width of the brush, the color, the starts and stops, while resigning myself to accept some aspects of the output as they occur.  In the spirit of Happenings, I encourage the contribution of creative energy within a prescribed structure. 

My process yields an observable abstract representation of what has transpired. It is an opportunity to analyze the fleeting movements of dance. The works take shape as dynamic linear renderings that embody kinetic verve. The emotion of the dance becomes a painted vestige honoring that instance in time. The lingering traces are mapped connections facilitated by social interaction, art, engineering, and technology.

My work explores how art and dance can be utilized in a participatory way to cross societal divides, break down barriers and increase empathy through tangible and embodied interactions.  Through imagination, curiosity, and courage, we can increase our self-awareness to grow introspectively and consciously thereby enabling us to better understand the experiences of others. I have been conducting happenings/events that encourage public participation in the performative and improvisational creation of a collaborative work of art as a means to explore social structures and confirm connections to being emotionally intelligent humans.

This work questions responsible use of technology, the construction of identity in a socially digitized world, authorship and ownership, privacy, and legacy.