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6 minutes 13 seconds

from Endless Songs 2002
suite of three videos
20 Minutes

dance improvisations by
Mary Anne Santos Newhall
music composed and performed by
Joan La Barbara

Endless Songs is a suite of three videos, Artimisia, Egon Schiele, and E Hesse, that seeks to combine the creative expression of the past with contemporary voices. Artimisia is dedicated to the figure of Artemisia Gentileschi, a 17th century Italian painter and symbol of the struggle for female creativity in a man’s world. Schiele honors the figure of Egon Schiele, an Austrian Expressionist painter who fearlessly explored the emotional landscape of the body. E Hesse pays homage to the figure of Eva Hesse, a German-American artist whose visceral response to the unknown opened up new avenues in the creation and experience of sculpture. These works explore common concerns that have been addressed by artists of different periods and cultures, resonating through time. As Kazuo Ohno, the great Butoh artist once stated, “Dead people don’t talk, but they influence us.”

This project emerged through collaborative improvisations with choreographer, dance historian, and performer Mary Anne Santos Newhall. Composer and extended vocal techniques pioneer Joan La Barbara created and performed the original music, blending movement and rhythm with the mood of the background artwork.


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