Skip to content
Search
Close this search box.

Daily Helping for November 26th, 2020 – Heather Hansen – Emptied Gestures

A photo of artist Heather Hansen on a white floor, using the movement of her arms to trace charcoal patterns on the ground.

Today’s helping came from a recommendation, and I will admit to having to consult Google to understand just exactly what I was watching. After a quick search, I discovered that Heather Hansen is an artist who combines visual art with performance, creating kinetic drawings out of charcoal or pastels. Her movements are mostly improvised, with a general pattern guiding the way. And when she’s done and steps away from the canvas, large and abstract figures are left behind, leaving an ethereal impression of the physicality of her work.

Yep. Once again, I’m doing a terrible job of describing these works of art. That’s why I’m just going to direct you to this video to watch Hansen in action yourself. This particular piece is titled Emptied Gestures, and there is something beautifully hypnotic about the way the music and the movements work together. To watch the progress of the lines take shape and structures to form. I’m positive I never would have discovered this artist on my own, so I’m grateful for the recommendation. It’s always such a joy to discover new expressions of art.

One last note. It took me far too long to realize that the top left piece in the final tableau was moving in reverse. But once I did, I was mesmerized. Hopefully you’ll be quicker than me to catch on!


Suggestions for artists I should check out? Please contact me with your ideas. I hope you enjoyed your daily helping of art!