Lines Ballet
This series borrows its name from a piece by jazz pianist Jason Moran on his album “Ten”, as do many of the titles for the individual paintings (others coming from Bill Evans). These works remind me of piano keys where my father played Thelonious Monk, the books jammed in our floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and the carved wood and hand-woven textiles collected the world over and displayed throughout my parents’ house.
When I did a little research on the Lines Ballet, I discovered that it’s a dance troop led by Alonzo King and based in San Francisco. Moran collaborated with them in 2009, and while watching the dancers, he sought the underlying music in their movement. In making these paintings, I continue to explore movement, music, and landscape as a single, layered image.