The Graduate
Video projection, acrylic on canvas
duration 2:07 minutes
2023
This project brings together the creative spirits of choreographer Merce Cunningham, composer John Cage, and artist Andy Warhol, all blending into a single artistic expression. In delving into their work and methods, I discovered a distinct set of principles that honored their postmodern interdisciplinary approach. Cunningham and Cage emphasized chance operations, the separation of music and dance, and the incorporation of dance for the camera.
In collaboration with Johnny Roulou, a musical theater major, and cellist Max Culp, I explored these principles through our own interpretation of a shared theme: "graduation," a looming event for us all. Each of us delved into our respective crafts spontaneously, without knowing the others' plans, fostering a collective understanding of this significant moment.
To adhere to the principle of chance operations, I divided the dance into eleven distinct movements, assigning each a number from one to eleven. Then, instead of dictating the sequence myself, I invited chance into the creative process by having someone randomly select numbers to determine the order of the movements, thus embracing the spirit of Cunningham and Cage's intentional randomness.
