The Shape, the Scent, the Feel of Things

Joan Jonas, The Shape, the Scent, the Feel of Things, performance at Dia Beacon, 2005. Photo by Paula Court

Incorporating movement, sound, live music, and projected video footage, The Shape, the Scent, the Feel of Things is, in part, a response to the writings of German art historian Aby Warburg based on his visit to the American Southwest in 1896. Equally formative was her collaboration with renowned jazz pianist and MacArthur Fellow Jason Moran, who devised the score in tandem with Jonas as she developed the project in situ in the summer of 2005. Employing piano, African bells, and other instruments, Moran performs during each presentation. This image is shown to give background to the artist’s extensive career.