Mechanisms of Translation: A Study of Loie Fuller's Serpentine Dance

MECHANISMS OF TRANSLATION

A Study of Loie Fuller’s Serpentine Dance

“Because [Fuller] has been repeatedly written out of the history of modern dance as an expressive discourse, it would be easy to fall into oppositional distinctions between the visual and the kinesthetic, between the practice of dancing and the visual images that evolve from that practice. But nuanced exploration of her work demonstrates how these two experiences are always already interconnected in her moving body.”

“More than an other early modern dancer, Loie Fuller can help us recognize the historical lineage of dance and technology and the way that bodies and machines have long been in conversation with one another.”

Ann Cooper Albright, Traces of Light

THE PROJECT: THE TRANSLATION

final boxes, day and night lighting photographs

final boxes, diagrams and serial photographs the poster the dance the patent

THE CONTEXT: THE RELEVANT HISTORICAL FRAGMENTS

THE METHODOLOGY: THE PROCESS

conceptual process diagram typological study of pop-up books, diagrams and photograph pop-up prototypes, diagrams and serial photographs box prototype, day and night lighting photographs formation of interests, bricolage and lineage drawings

THE PROJECT the translation

FIG. 01 final box 01 night lighting photograph

FIG. 02 final box 01 day lighting photograph

FIG. 03 final box 02 night lighting photograph

FIG. 04 final box 02 day lighting photograph

FIG. 05 final box 03 night lighting photograph

FIG. 06 final box 03 day lighting photograph

FIG. 07 final box 04 night lighting photograph

FIG. 08 final box 04 day lighting photograph

FIG. 09 final box 05 night lighting photograph

FIG. 10 final box 05

lighting photograph

FIG. 11 final boxes page construction and corresponding film stills

FIG. 12 final box 01 page construction and corresponding film stills

FIG. 13 final box 01 serial photographs of operability

FIG. 14 final box 02 page construction and corresponding film stills

FIG. 15 final box 02

serial photographs of operability

FIG. 16 final box 03 page construction and corresponding film stills

FIG. 17

final box 03

serial photographs of operability

FIG. 18 final box 04 page construction and corresponding film stills

FIG. 19 final box 04

serial photographs of operability

FIG. 20 final box 05 page construction and corresponding film stills

FIG. 21 final box 05

serial photographs of operability

THE CONTEXT

the relevant historical fragments

Jules Chéret

b. 1836; Paris, France

d. 1932; Nice, France

poster of Fuller performing at the Folies-Bergère, 1893

THE CONTEXT the relevant historical fragments

FIG. 22 the poster

The Lumière Brothers

Auguste Lumière Louis Lumière

b. 1862; Besançon, France

d. 1954; Lyon, France

b. 1864; Besançon, France

d. 1948; Bandol, France

stills from Auguste and Louis Lumière’s film of Fuller performing Serpentine, 1897

THE CONTEXT

the relevant historical fragments

FIG. 23 the dance

Loie Fuller

b. 1862; Fullersburg, IL

d. 1928; Paris, France

Mechanism for the production of stage effects patent document, 1894

THE CONTEXT

the relevant historical fragments

FIG. 24 the patent

THE METHODOLOGY the process

THE METHODOLOGY the process

FIG. 25 conceptual process diagram

THE METHODOLOGY the process

FIG. 26

typological study of pop-up books

analytical diagrams of Madame Sonia Delaunay: A Pop-Up Book

THE METHODOLOGY the process

FIG. 27

typological study of pop-up books

photograph of Madame Sonia Delaunay: A Pop-Up Book

THE METHODOLOGY the process

FIG. 28 pop-up prototype 01 development of book page from film still to pop-up mechanism

THE METHODOLOGY the process

serial photographs

FIG. 29 pop-up prototype 01

THE METHODOLOGY the process

FIG. 30 pop-up prototype 02 development of book page from film still to pop-up mechanism

THE METHODOLOGY the process

serial photographs

FIG. 31 pop-up prototype 02

THE METHODOLOGY the process

FIG. 32 pop-up prototype 03

development of book page from film still to pop-up mechanism

THE METHODOLOGY the process

serial photographs

FIG. 33 pop-up prototype 03

THE METHODOLOGY the process

FIG. 34 pop-up prototype 04

development of book page from film still to pop-up mechanism

THE METHODOLOGY the process

serial photographs

FIG. 35 pop-up prototype 04