View of another work in the series: "Drawing Room (Achea Rheon)," 2003 Photographic backdrop paper, crayons, artist's body, children ages 4-10, sound, video projection. Courtesy of the artist and Whitney Museum of American Art. Photo: Tanya Ahmed. Video still: Carlton Bright.
Lete-Przestrzen Rysunku, 2005 Centre for Contemporary Art Zamek Ujazdowski, Warsaw, Poland, April 3, 2005
The gallery space is filled with sound composed from voices of children playing outdoors, falling water, rain, wind, and singing. The ground is covered by white canvas on which there are
scattered crayons, pencils, wings, and veils. Throughout the duration of the performance I move gradually and peacefully within the canvas. Lying down and curled up on my side, I outline my
body with crayons. I wear the wig. The children may also wear the artificial long hair or they can wear the veils. Persisting sound environment and my closed eyes make it close to impossible
to communicate verbally, leaving the space for the children to relate to my movement and to make their own decisions about what they draw, or how long they remain inside the work.
A video camera is suspended from the ceiling and becomes a source of the images projected on to the wall, presenting the birdŐs view of the scene. The three-dimensional action becomes a painting,
where a walking across child is its instant part. Similarly to the traces left by the crayons and pencils, our heads leave visual traces, as we move around, dragging beyond long veils and hair.
Lethe, River of Forgetfulness, invite us to immerse ourselves in the space of drawing which becomes a memory of presence of all participants, their evidence, while we continue to
gradually forget the world situated outside the space of drawing.
