Zone: Chelsea Center for the Arts is proud to present a retrospective of video installation works by artist Molly Davies.  A film and video artist, Davies started making experimental films in the late 1960s. She became well known in the 1970s for her innovative work with film and performance, collaborating with contemporary choreographers, performers and composers.  The exhibition will focus on Davies’ unique collaboration between mediums and will feature four major installation works spanning three decades. The exhibition will also include a screening booth with Davies’ documentary film performance pieces that were made for the theater.    

 

Her work explores movement of the performing body and film, distilling the everyday to suggest undercurrents of desire, isolation and joy.  Juxtaposing images to create layers of meaning, her work immerses the viewer into striking, poetic worlds, using multiple projections, screens and monitors to enhance the reflexive, abstract themes within the visual/sound compositions. Noted for her richly textured work, Davies brings the complex, subtle rhythms of movement and time altering medium of video into compelling spatial arrangements to provide multiple perspectives on the nuances of the everyday.  

 

The exhibition includes DAVID TUDOR’S OCEAN (1994), a six-channel piece, documenting three performances of the first tour of Merce Cunningham Dance Company’s acclaimed work Ocean, with composer David Tudor and Takehisa Kosugi performing live.  This video/sound installation presents a portrait of David Tudor, detailing process and accumulation.  It is a meditation on the elaborate tableau of electronic music making in relation to the parallel dance making of Merce Cunningham.  The installation takes an imaginative behind-the-scenes look at set-up, rehearsal and live performance.  This work is in the permanent collection of the Walker Art Center, The Getty Research Institute and Musée Art Contemporain Lyon.  (92 minutes continuous loop)

 

Also to be shown will be SEA TAILS (1983), a three-channel, six monitor piece, that integrates an evocative electronic score by David Tudor with film footage of French artist Jackie Matisse’s extraordinary underwater kites.  This mesmerizing work presents the sculptural patterns of Ms. Matisse’s kites as they float, swirl, and shift gracefully and randomly through the oceans’ current, suspending time and space.  Originally presented at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, this piece is in the permanent collection at The Getty Research Institute.  (22 minutes continuous loop)

 

The exhibit will include the premiere of Davies’ work DESIRE(2002), a three-channel, three- screen installation with text by renowned poet Anne Carson.  A quiet drama that centers on a day in the life among three friends, DESIRE is imbued with emotional temporal states juxtaposed with a vibrant colorful landscape. The installation uses color video projected side by side on the wall and three-channels of amplified mono sound. (12 minutes continuous loop)             

 

In PASTIME(1995), a provocative slide/video/sound installation built of layers with three projection surfaces and a sound collage, Davies addresses the beauty and poignancy of the quotidian. The installation, like its subject matter, deals with reflection, light, fragments and distortion as the slides and videos constantly dissolve.  A woman and a boy wrestle on a raft, playing “king of the mountain”. With gestures that suggest love, conflict, power and eroticism, the work reveals the fragility of the moment, of a certain time in a relationship, of a mid-summer day, and the innocence of coming of age.  (12 minutes continuous loop)

 

The exhibition will include several documentations of film and performances pieces created by Davies from 1976-2005.  Among the documented works are Arrivals & Departures(1988); deChirico’s Daughter (1992); Palm at the End of the Mind(1983); Sage Cycle, including Sage Time and Again, Grasslands and Sageand Third Thought(originally created 1976-79, reconstructed in 2005); and Small Circles Great Plains(originally created 1976-79, reconstructed in 2005).

 

Molly Davies has been working as a film and video artist for over 30 years.  For her multimedia performance pieces, she has collaborated with artists John Cage, David Tudor, Michael Nyman, Takehisa Kosugi, Lou Harrison, Alvin Curran, Fred Frith, Suzushi Hanayagi, Sage Cowles, Polly Motley, Jackie Matisse and Anne Carson.  Her work has been presented at the Venice Film Festival, the Centre Pompidou, Musée de l‘Art Moderne de la Ville Paris, Musée Art Contemporain Lyon, The Getty, the Whitney Museum, the Walker Art Center, Asia Society, Theatre Am Turm, The Kitchen, Dance Theater Workshop, La MaMa Etc., Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, and the Indonesian Dance Festival.  She teaches courses in design for inter-media performances at universities in the United States, Europe and Asia.

 

January 12 – March 11, 2006

Opening reception:

Thursday January 12th, 2006

6-8pm

 

 

 

Reviews

 

Asia Society and Museum,
New York, NY
TRADITIONS, INVENTIONS, AND EXCHANGEJune 28 through August 21, 2005
Walker Art Center
Minneapolis, MN
SPACE, TIME AND ILLUSION-
ISSUES OF FILM WITH PERFORMANCE
May 11, 2005
Dance Theatre Workshop
New York, NY
SPACE, TIME AND ILLUSION-
ISSUES OF FILM WITH PERFORMANCE
April 18 & 19, 2005
Zone Chelsea,
New York, NY
DISTANCE BETWEEN GESTURE AND MEANINGSApril 5 through 15, 2005
Smith College, Department of Art
North Hampton, MA
DRAWING FROM THE BODY
Performance
March 8, 2005
Getty Research Institute Exhibition Gallery
Los Angeles, CA
SEA TAILSJuly 13 -September 26, 2004
Bates Museum of Art, Lower Gallery
at
Bates Dance Festival,
Lewiston, ME
TRADITIONS, INVENTIONS, AND EXCHANGEAugust 9 through 16, 2003
2002 Bienalle
Lyon France
Musee Art Contemporain Lyon
DAVID TUDOR’S OCEANMarch, 2002
Texas Gallery
Houston, TX
KAREN TAPESDecember, 2001
Block Gallery
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL
PASTIMESeptember – December, 2001
Getty Museum of Art
Los Angeles, CA
DAVID TUDOR’S OCEANMay, 2001
Argentinian Embassy
New York City, NY
DAVID TUDOR’S OCEANMarch, 2001
The New School for Social Research
New York City, NY
KAREN TAPESMarch 1st, 2001
Tulane University
New Orleans, LA
DRAWING FROM THE BODY
Performance / Video Installation
February – May, 2001
Mingei International Museum
San Diego, CA
SEA TAILSApril – November, 2000
Santa Cruz Museum of Art
and History
Santa Cruz, CA
MIGRATION
DISLOCATION
BRANCUSI’S BASKETS
July – November, 2000
The Kitchen
New York City, NY
MARGUERITE
Summer Residence with Polly Motley
June, 2000
Selby Gallery
Sarasota, Florida
“PLUGGED IN”
Installations of:
DRESSING
DISLOCATION
BRANCUSI’S BASKETS
March – April, 2000
Mousonturm
Frankfurt A/M, Germany
DRAWING FROM THE BODY
Performance/ Video
Installation
August 24,25, 1999
Flynn Theater
Stowe, Vermont
aJune – July, 1999
Jack Tilton Gallery
New York, NY
DRAWING FROM THE BODY
Performance/Video Installation
February 24, 1999
The Galleries at Moore
Philadelphia, PA
SEA TAILSJanuary 22-March 14, 1999
Jack Tilton Gallery
New York, NY
DRAWING FROM THE BODY
Performance/ Video
Installation
December 10, 1998
Walker Arts Center
Minneapolis, MN
DAVID TUDOR’S OCEAN
Video Installation
June 28- Sept 21, 1998
Deutschlandfunk
Redaktion E-Musik
Köln, Germany
DAVID TUDOR’S OCEAN
Video Installation
March, 1998
The Kitchen
New York, NY
DAVID TUDOR’S OCEAN
Video Installation
Oct 30 – Nov 26, 1997
Dancespace
New York, NY
IN THE MANNER OF
EDWARD HOPPER
October, 1996
Judson Memorial Church
New York, NY
DAVID TUDOR’S OCEAN
Video Installation
September 17, 1996
Naropa Institute
Boulder, CO
BROWNIEFAXJanuary, 1996
Kitchen Center for Video and Music
New York, NY
YOU CAN SING ANY TIMEApril, 1995
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO
YOU CAN SING ANY TIMEMarch, 1995
Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival
Lee, MA
FOLK DANCE
YOU CAN SING ANYTIME
August, 1994
Movement Research
New York, NY
WAITINGDecember, 1993
Dance Theatre Workshop
New York, NY
FOLK DANCESeptember, 1993
Naropa Institute
Boulder, CO
SUPERFICIAL DISSOLVEMay, 1993
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO
DE CHIRICO’S DAUGHTER
PART II
May, 1992
Naropa Institute
Boulder, Co
DE CHIRICO’S DAUGHTER
PART I
February, 1992
Justus Liebig University
Giessen, Germany
REICHE OHNE SINNE PROJECTJanuary – February, 1991
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO
COLLABORATION WITH POLLY MOTLEYApril, 1991
Heiner Müller Project
Frankfurt, Germany
“BILDBESCHREIBUNG”April, 1990
La Mama E.T.C.
New York, NY
MANA GOES TO THE MOONJanuary 9-27, 1990
Theatre am Turm
Frankfurt, Germany
ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURESApril 20 – 24, 1988
Tampere Theater Festival
Finland
ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURESAugust 15-16 1988
La Mama E.T.C.
New York, NY
ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURESMay 5-29, 1988
Whitney Museum of American Art at Phillip Morris
New York City, NY
SEA TAILSSeptember 17, 1986
The Albuerque Museum of Art, History and Science
Albuquerque, New Mexico
SAGE CYCLE Part III
SMALL CIRCLES GREAT PLAINS
June 22, 1985
Theatre Am Turm
Frankfurt, Germany
ATEMJune 6, 1985
Centre Georges Pompidou
Paris, France
Comissionedwork from TAT
PALM AT THE END OF THE MIND
PREPARING THE GROUND
May 24-26, 1985
Theater am Turm
Frankfurt, Germany
Commissioned work from TAT
PREPARING THE GROUND
April 18-21, 1985
May 28-31, 1985
Wesleyan College
Middletown, CT
SAGE CYCLE ALL PARTS:
I. SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
II.GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
III.SMALL CIRCLE GREAT PLAINS

&
PALM AT THE END OF THE MIND
January 25-26, 1985
Collective for Living Cinema
New York, NY
BEYOND THE FAR BLUE MOUNTAINSJanuary 12, 1985
Fine Arts Museum
Taipei, Taiwan
SEA TAILSAugust, 1984
Museum of Modern Art
Stockholm, Sweden
SEA TAILSAugust 21, 22, 24, 1984
Akademie der Kunste
Berlin, Germany
PARIS PIECEJune 22, 1984
Center Georges Pompidou
Paris, France
SEA TAILSJune 3-27, 1984
Saarbruken
Germany
BEYOND THE FAR BLUE MOUNTAINSJune 4, 1984
Kammer Theater
Wurttembergische Staats-Theater
Stuttgart, Germany
THE PALM AT THE EDGE OF THE MIND
&
SAGE CYCLE ALL PARTS:
I. SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
II.GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
III.SMALL CIRCLE GREAT PLAINS
June 29, 1984
Akademie Der Kunst
Berlin, Germany
SEA TAILSFebruary 1 – 5 1984
Theatre Am Turm
Frankfurt, Germany
Retrospective:
THE PALM AT THE END OF THE MIND
THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT
SMALL CIRCLES GREAT PLAINS
SAGE CYCLE
BEYOND THE FAR BLUE MOUNTAINS
ATEM
SEA TAILS
October 27 – 31, 1983
The Walker Arts Center
Minneapolis, MN
BEYOND THE FAR BLUE MOUNTAINSMay 7 – 8, 1983
Kommonales Kino
Stuttgart, Germany
THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT
BEYOND THE FAR BLUE MOUNTAINS
4-Feb-83
Arsenal
Berlin, Germany
THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT
BEYOND THE FAR BLUE MOUNTAINS
November, 1982
Wurttembergische Staats-theater
Stuttgart, Germany
THE WEATHER WAS PERFECTOctober 31, 1982
Walker Art Center
Minneapolis, MN
THE WEATHER WAS PERFECTSeptember 19, 1982
Venice Film Festival
Venice, Italy
BEYOND THE FAR BLUE MOUNTAINSSeptember 3, 1982
Cabrillo Music Festival
Aptos, California
BEYOND THE FAR BLUE MOUNTAINSAugust 21, 1982
Basel Art Fair (Stampa)
Basel, Switzerland
BEYOND THE FAR BLUE MOUNTAINSJune 21, 1982
Amerika Haus
Munich, Germany
BEYOND THE FAR BLUE MOUNTAINSJune 16, 1982
Centre Georges Pompidou
Pairs, France
BEYOND THE FAR BLUE MOUNTAINSJune 10-11 1982
Hampshire College
Amherst, MA
SAGE CYCLE Part III
SMALL CIRCLES GREAT PLAINS
16-Feb-81
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI
SAGE CYCLE Part III
SMALL CIRCLES GREAT PLAINS
7-Feb-81
Kunsthaus
Zurich, Switzerland
SAGE CYCLE Part III
SMALL CIRCLES GREAT PLAINS
May, 1981
Kunstehalle
Basel, Switzerland
SAGE CYCLE Part III
SMALL CIRCLES GREAT PLAINS
May 20-21 1981
Akademie der Kunst
Berlin, Germany
SAGE CYCLE ALL PARTS:
I. SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
II.GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
III.SMALL CIRCLE GREAT PLAINS
May 12-14, 1981
Sprengel Museum
Hannover, Germany
SAGE CYCLE ALL PARTS:
I. SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
II.GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
III.SMALL CIRCLE GREAT PLAINS
May 9-10, 1981
Theater Am Turm
Frankfurt, Germany
SAGE CYCLE Part III
SMALL CIRCLES GREAT PLAINS
April 25 – 28, 1981
Centre Georges Pompidou
Paris, France
SAGE CYCLE Part III
SMALL CIRCLES GREAT PLAINS
April 22-23, 1981
The Mickery
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
SAGE CYCLE ALL PARTS:
I. SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
II.GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
III.SMALL CIRCLE GREAT PLAINS
April 7 – 11, 1981
April 14 – 18, 1981
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Boston, Massachusetts
SAGE CYCLE Part III
SMALL CIRCLES GREAT PLAINS
March 1st, 1981
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Montreal, Canada
SAGE CYCLE Part III
SMALL CIRCLES GREAT PLAINS
27-Feb-81
Smithsonian Institution
Hirshorn Museum
Washington, D.C.
SAGE CYCLE ALL PARTS:
I. SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
II.GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
III.SMALL CIRCLE GREAT PLAINS
February 21 – 23, 1981
Stowe Center for the Performing Arts
Stowe, Vermont
SAGE CYCLE Part III
SMALL CIRCLES GREAT PLAINS
February 24-25, 1981
Hampshire College
Amherst, MA
SAGE CYCLE Part III
SMALL CIRCLES GREAT PLAINS
16-Feb-81
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI
SAGE CYCLE Part III
SMALL CIRCLES GREAT PLAINS
7-Feb-81
Walker Arts Center
Minneapolis, MN
SAGE CYCLE Part I
SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
October, 1980
Cabrillo Music Festival
Aptos, CA
SAGE CYCLE Part III
SMALL CIRCLES GREAT PLAINS
August, 1980
Walker Arts Center
Minneapolis, MN
SAGE CYCLE Part III
SMALL CIRCLES GREAT PLAINS
May and June, 1980
Rising Sun Video Center
Santa Fe, New Mexico
SAGE CYCLE Part I & II
SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
May, 1980
Musee d’Art de Moderne de la Ville de Paris
Paris, France
SAGE CYCLE ALL PARTS:
I. SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
II.GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
III.SMALL CIRCLE GREAT PLAINS
December, 1979
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI
SAGE CYCLE Part I & II
SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
March, 1979
Department of Dance and Architecture
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
SAGE CYCLE Part I & II
SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
November, 1978
IDEA Gallery
Los Angeles, CA
SAGE CYCLE Part I & II
SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
November, 1978
University of California
San Diego, CA
SAGE CYCLE Part I & II
SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
November, 1978
American Contemporary Dance Company/ Seattle Art Museum
Seattle, Washington
SAGE CYCLE Part I & II
SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
November, 1978
Pittsburgh Filmmakers
Pittsburgh, PA
SAGE CYCLE Part I & II
SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
November, 1978
Walker Art Center
Minneapolis, MN
SAGE CYCLE Part I
GLASSLANDS AND SAGE
May, 1978
Cunningham Studio, Westbeth
New York, NY
SAGE CYCLE Part I
GLASSLANDS AND SAGE
May, 1978
San Francisco Museum of Art
San Francisco, CA
SAGE CYCLE Part I
GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
April, 1978
Anthology Film Archives
NYC, NY
SAGE CYCLE Part I & II
SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
February, 1978
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Boston, MA
SAGE CYCLE Part I & II
SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
January, 1978
Cabrillo Music Festival
Aptos, CA
SAGE CYCLE Part I & II
SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
GRASSLANDS AND SAGE
August, 1977
THE KITCHEN
New York, NY
SAGE CYCLE Part I
SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
&
ABOUT THE LILTING HOUSE
April, 1977
Walker Art Center
Minneapolis, MN
SAGE CYCLE Part I
SAGE TIME AND AGAIN
&
ABOUT THE LILTING HOUSE
March, 1977
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