Artistic Statement
My work as an interdisciplinary performance artist and intermedia dance maker investigates memory, explores queer temporality and space, and reimagines new ways of connecting humanity to science. I am drawn to the spaces where movement, text, sound, and materials converge, dissolving the boundaries between traditional dance performance and experimental performance art. Through dance, writing, video, collage, and voice, I explore how embodied memory and queer temporality can reimagine our relationship to time, place, and one another.
Improvisation lies at the heart of both my process and performance. It is a way of listening, witnessing, and being present with myself, the space, and those I share the space with. In rehearsal, improvisation is a form of research; a means to uncover what the body knows, a method to discover possibility, and a tactic to access layers of memory, sensation, and imagination. In performance, improvisation transforms into the act of being present and responsive, allowing each work to remain alive, porous, and in dialogue with its environment.
Collaboration and interdisciplinary experimentation guide my creative practice. I often work with other artists and performers to weave together our collective knowledge and experiences, crafting work that is nuanced, personal, and textured. Creative practices outside of dance are also collaborators in my work. This manifests sometimes as digital elements; projections, video, or sound design. Other times it appears as physical materials, devised text, or immersive installations. Ultimately, my work seeks to cultivate connection; between people, between disciplines, and between the worlds we inhabit.
John T. Cartwright 