Louise K Wilson (artist), Anthony Bull (bioengineering researcher), and Morag Wightman (choreographic and performance artist)
MORAG during zero gravity flight
Title of Presentation: Interdisciplinary Microgravity Movement Research:
Experiments on a Zero Gravity Flight
Description of Project:
'Microgravity' has its roots in a concept introduced
by Albert Einstein. Inside an orbital spacecraft or an aircraft in freefall,
conditions can't be distinguished from zero gravity. Tiny variations in
the balance of forces, astronauts moving around, and thruster firings
create conditions of 'microgravity' inside the spacecraft.
This presentation will explore the discussions and research undertaken
by Dr Anthony Bull, artist Louise K Wilson and choreographic artist Morag
Wightman, following their initial meeting on the Arts Catalyst's MIR (microgravity
interdisciplinary research) project on a zero gravity 'parabolic' flight
from the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, Star City, Russia, in October
2001.
Anthony Bull is a lecturer and postgraduate tutor in the Department of
Bioengineering (Bagrit Centre) at Imperial College, London. His research
is in joint biomechanics, injury and repair (eg knee joint ligaments)
in both 'normal' people and athletes. His work on the flight was a preliminary
study of different movement control techniques utilised by a dancer (Morag)
and non-dancer (Louise). This work has extended into a dialogue on many
levels between the 3 researchers.
Louise K Wilson has been invited to be artist-in-residence in the Bagrit
Centre later this year. During her residency, Louise will utilise a process
of 'following' scientists in the lab, analogous to an ethnographic approach.
She will focus on bioengineering research concerned with movement and
gravity. She is interested in projects investigating motion analysis and
the mechanics of movement in altered states of gravity - specifically
land-based experiments that are being developed in parallel with parabolic
flight experimentation.
Louise's primary interest is the nature of experimentation and the personal
motivations of scientists and researchers. The use of medical imaging
machines and data systems will provide a starting point to explore a shared
use of visual imagery and the contexts in which these technologies are
applied. Her approach extends a modus operandi that uses ideas of 'performative'
process - one example being the series of medical laboratory interventions
she undertook as a volunteer subject.
Morag Wightman's experience is in
competitive sports, 4 years contemporary dance training, and subsequent
movement research and work as a performance and choreographic artist.
Her experimentation on the flight was to perform tasks that represented
artistic themes, as well as giving herself movement tasks impossible in
gravity conditions to see how she worked out a new movement strategy.
While Anthony analyses how they moved in zero gravity, Morag suggests,
from own choreographic practice, what and why certain movement strategies
were used. In her own artistic practice, she is pursuing the relationships
between thought and action: what type of thought directs what kind of
movement.
To reveal and communicate the potential of a weightless environment for
movement-based studies needs both objective and subjective understanding.
To search for a new system of integrating the body's movement mechanisms
requires a new kind of exchange between artist and scientist - using their
experience as a reference point.
Website Address for Documentation Materials:
Information & images:
http://www.bg.ic.ac.uk/Research/biodynamics/Slide4.shtml
http://www.artscatalyst.org/htm/yurilog.htm
http://www.artscatalyst.org/img/Morag.jpg
Louise K Wilson's work takes the form of
mixed media installations and single screen videos and explores perceptual,
social and transformative aspects of science and technology. Her practice
is fundamentally research-based and regularly involves the participation
of individuals from industry, medicine and departments of scientific research.
Previous installations have included a degree of physical viewer interaction
in examining the visual culture of medical science. She has undertaken
many artist residencies and commissions and produced site-specific pieces
in diverse spaces including museums, hospitals, industrial plants, and
sculpture parks as well as galleries.
E-mail address: lkwilson@dircon.co.uk
Address: 303 Amhurst Road, London N16 7UX, UK
Dr. Anthony Bull, PhD, DIC, ACGI, MIMechE, CEng
Anthony Bull obtained his bachelor degree in mechanical engineering from
Imperial College in 1992. He started his PhD studies on the kinematics
of the knee joint in the biomechanics research group at Imperial College
and has published more than 70 papers at conference and in peer review
journals.
In 1994 Anthony was awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust fellowship
to conduct a research project at the University of Cincinnati. He has
since been invited to speak at international conferences, most recently,
the European Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology and Arthroscopy Conference
in April 2002, Rome, Italy. In 2000 Anthony was awarded an ARC Fellowship
looking at modelling knee joints during normal activities.
Anthony's research on the mechanics of joints has led to collaboration
with orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists, neurophysiologists, artists,
and other engineers. He is a member of the BioDynamics research group
at Imperial College. This is a horizontal group researching aspects of
injury, disability and rehabilition.
Current Projects:
Modelling knee joint function during normal activities Knee joint ligaments:
function, injury, and repair Patello-femoral joint biomechanics Spinal
Mechanics of Rowers, The mechanics of movement in altered states of gravity.
E-mail address: a.bull@ic.ac.uk
Address: Bagrit Centre, Imperial College of Science, Technology
& Medicine, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7, UK
Morag Wightman is a dancer, aerial and stilt performer, teacher and choreographic artist. Works in theatre, circus, site-specific, TV and film performance, as well as in the community and education.
Trained in sports (7 yrs.), professional dance training (4 yrs.), graduated with B.A. (Hons) degree in dance from the Laban Centre, London in 1993. Worked for several years with pan-European Exit Dance Theatre in site-specific, voice-theatre and abseil performances and toured internationally with Scarabeus Theatre in stilt, abseil and pyrotechnic spectacles. Developed non-linear improvisation performance with choreographer Davide Terlingo and numerous circus performances with, amongst others, The Flying Splinter Group, The Wrong Size and The Royal Opera House.
Participated in research and performance with pioneer of zero gravity movement studies, Dr. Kitsou Dubois in 2000 and in 2001, in Arts Catalyst's zero gravity flight with the Russian Space Agency, M.I.R. Flight 001.
One of the first abseil performers
and choreographers in Britain in 1995, in 1996 Morag founded project based
interdisciplinary performance group Craos Mor. Her choreographic work
researches relationships between subjective thought and action as material
for communicating changing states of reality through the performers movement,
use of space, sound and environment design. She is currently researching
movement and weightlessness.
E-mail address: morag@craosmor.com
Address: 111 Upper Brockley Road, London SE4 1TF, UK
Website addresses:
www.craosmor.com
http://www.artscatalyst.org/img/Morag.jpg
