julie henson
photo-2.jpg

Through the Woods

Through the Woods is a project designed for a collaborative exhibition, Reverse Rehearsals, at Southern Exposure, in San Francisco.

Playing on the idea of reverse engineering, Reverse Rehearsals turns the storytelling process inside out. The project begins with the creation of theatrical sets and culminates with a dramatic reading of new written works. Reverse Rehearsals brings together six visual artists and seven writers who interpret and respond to each other’s work in three separate stages of making.

Through the Woods incorporates landscape elements from early Disney cartoons cut out of full scale rolling walls ranging from 4' by 8' to 8' by 10' in scale. The walls are then lit with a large theatrical light, casting shadows on to each wall and into the surrounding spaces.

Engaging with the idealized, imagined environments and scenarios in cartoons, Through the Woods considers how narrative is built through simplistic forms and characters and how those narratives are incorporated into cultural norms and societal belief systems.

Wood Rolling Walls, Latex Paint, Theatrical Light | 2013

THROUGH THE WOODS

plywood rolling walls, latex paint, theatrical light
dimensions variable
2013

Through the Woods was a project designed for a collaborative exhibition, Reverse Rehearsals, at Southern Exposure, in San Francisco.

Playing on the idea of reverse engineering, Reverse Rehearsals turns the storytelling process inside out. The project began with the creation of theatrical sets and culminates with a dramatic reading of new written works. Reverse Rehearsals brought together six visual artists and seven writers who interpret and respond to each other’s work in three separate stages of making.

Through the Woods incorporates landscapes from early Disney cartoons cut out of full scale rolling walls ranging from 4' by 8' to 8' by 10' in scale. The walls are then lit with a large theatrical light, casting shadows on to each wall and into the surrounding spaces.

Engaging with the idealized, imagined environments and scenarios in cartoons, Through the Woods considers how narrative is built through simplistic forms and characters and how those narratives are incorporated into cultural norms and societal belief systems.