Public Art
The Light, draws dual inspiration from the James Baldwin work Nothing Personal and the hemispheric shift to summer.The Light featured an original score composed by Daniel Rothman that is based on Baldwin’s text.
A trio consisting of a vocalist, bass clarinetist and cellist performed the composition in concert with a basketball player who wore a costume that was fashioned from athletic jerseys and inspired by traditional shamanic attire.
The performance was presented within the “pages” of a giant pop-up book created by Holly Tempo. The book functioned as both a theatrical set and exploration of the narrative of space in relation to light, sound, and cultural history. The book was comprised of found objects/materials, including a basketball backboard and hoop; video projections; and, of course, the performance itself.
Performers from left to right: vocalist Thomas Buckner, cellist Theodore Mook, bass clarinetist Marty Ehrlich, and artist David Roy as basketball player.