I realized that I never posted any of my Clam saga -- It all began a couple years ago...I was trying to create a sculpture that was a sphere that you could roll around in...it wasn't quite working as I had imagined it and it just wasn't quite right. I just kept staring at it. Finally, I stuck some eyes on it and Bam! It became The Clam. Last year I was given the opportunity to expand upon the Clam and have a show in the Rotunda at the Hopkins Center at Dartmouth. I made around 20 different clams of all different sizes. There was also the added character of The Bird. Every couple days I changed the arrangement of all the clams, telling the story of The Bird. The Bird came into the "Clam Tank" as I liked to call it...at first the Clams weren't too sure about it. Then the Bird told her story and it ended in a big party, Birds and Clams friends forever! Another component of the piece was the Escape Clam. This was the original clam. Every now and then he would 'escape' from the tank and run around campus. Thank you to all who performed in the Clam! And there you have it! I'm currently working on a children's book featuring the clam and his adventures...can't wait to finish!
This was inspired in part by the Bag Creature project -- also a performance piece. Again, a focus on story, interaction, and humanity, found in the strangest of places! While continuing work on the bag creatures, I can't help but think about the clams and how they are related -- what I can use from that experience in these new performances.
