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by Rudi Stern.
September 12-23, 2000
La MaMa ETC, New York City [Performance of Wed. 9/20]
Reviewed by Dick Land, 10 Trapelo Rd, Belmont, MA 02478-4442 U.S.A.
E-mail: LAND@VISION.eri.harvard.edu


Mere words are incapable of expressing the experience of moving images in vivid color, dynamically filling a theatrical space. For those whom lumia is a new experience this was surely a uniquely exciting hour. For one like myself involved in lumia for more than 50 years it was a delight and triumph of fascination. It was a heroic performance. Dazzling as three rotating disks served as screens for projected images from some sixty projectors; changing images, carefully timed to music of diverse styles. Computers and manual controls adroitly allowed Rudi to lead us on spatial journeys of intricate interwoven design and transformations. The dynamics of motion in space, the range of color, and depth of contrast greatly exceed that of any other media. Much more than a "light show", beyond psychedelic, and so much more than Fantasia, this was a marvel that one must see for ones self. Regrettably the opportunity is so rare.

Let me describe the circumstance. A dark cube of space about 40 feet on a side, with audience in a balcony on three sides, and on the floor, in three groups of chairs in corners, provides seating for about a hundred. In the large middle open space, suspended several feet above the floor, are three disks about six feet in diameter, that in performance rotate slowly at controlled speeds. Most of the floor is covered with rotating tables and other devices for transforming the projections. Several banks of slide projectors are on the floor and several more are suspended below the balcony, thus each group of projectors can produce images on the front or rear of the disks that are circular projection screens where images can merge, blending those from the front and those from the rear. The projections themselves are glass slides (most hand painted) with a variety of designs, often related by some features of shape or color. Each episode of the performance begins and ends in darkness. The marvelous sound system enveloped us with carefully prepared music selections that generally began before the images would develop and conclude together. Fourteen episodes without intermission comprised the show, a staccato encore demonstrated an extreme of the presentation.

A few episodes used only one screen, the others remaining dark and still. When all three screens were in use, often the image sequence would begin on the more central disk and then seem to propagate to the others. Colors and shapes within an episode were related in various ways, and all images were subject to apparent stretching as the screen would rotate edge on to the projectors. Of course, the image would vanish for an observer as the screen came edge on. Thus each viewer saw the rhythm of the rotating disk in two aspects, the stretching and compressing from projector alignment and extinction from the edge view. The additional changing of slides and their dissolves provided the major development of image transformations.

Perhaps trying to report a sequence would help understand the experience. Each audience member is looking at three large disks, in the dark, nearly invisible. Music begins, the disk begins to turn, rotating several turns a minute, and an image fades into view. A single simple pattern in strong color fills the screen, and is distorted by the rotation. Then a second image overlays and mixes with the first. Successive images are added, earlier ones fade away, often only one on display, sometimes as many as three or four merging in intriguing ways. Since there are several projection directions the distortion by rotation is not the same for each overlay, but the edge-on change is very strong for each viewer. Generally the images begin simple and develop complexities thru the episode with some apparent return to beginning character as the music ends and we are returned to darkness.

2 RS perf. 00/09/20
Interesting variations involved the three screens, none edge-on at the same time, where the introduction of an image sequence began on the lead screen, and then would began again on a second screen while further development continued on the first. Then the beginning sequence would appear on the third screen, thus a visual 'round' is developed where one is seeing images in separate locations going thru contrasting development, but of the same character. More than ever the individual observer is enjoying a unique experience, as each audience member really sees a different performance especially since his attention moves from screen to screen motivated by unique features.

A large variety of additional features combine to make an infinite range of sequences. Those items scattered about the floor can introduce shadows of a fixed shape, or if rotating, that shadow change can be added to the various changes already part of the image. The floor item may be a reflector, and its motion can play a part. Note that with three screens, shadows are cast on one or more dependent on the object location, but the size and shape will be different. For the concluding episode a human profile was fixed in the center of each screen, thus a shadow that did not change was introduced into the dynamic flux of shape and color. One of the many marvelous imaginative touches introduced into the performance included development of vertical and horizontal lines, that merged for a few slides into actual pictures of city buildings, including one of the face of this theatre. Actually recognizable images were rarely used, most being abstract paintings, swirls, soft geometrical shapes, flower like, so diverse, again words fail.

Such a presentation calls to mind the "Art Institute of Light" of Thomas Wilfred who performed in a studio next to Grand Central Station for several years before WWII. Tom, whom I met in the mid 60's, invented lumia prior to 1920 and primarily used refraction and reflection for image development projected on a fixed rectangular screen. Chris Sidenius, encouraged by Tom, built his own "Lumia Theatre" in Connecticut some thirty miles north of New Haven, where on weekends in the summer for many years in the 70's and 80's he offered performances with elaborate successful techniques. In the late 1940's I preformed my first lumia shows, using mostly shadow effects for image forms and using theatre gels for color. Eventually my instruments have evolved to use reflection techniques for most image formation on rear projection flat screens. Although I and others have performed without music, it is rare and for most unsatisfactory, like Paul Taylor, the marvelous choreographer has said, "silence is too noisy". These references I give as perspective on my response to the work of Rudi Stern. Clearly his approach to lumia, painting with light, is to make actual painting more dimensional. His technique is dominated by a painted slide in a projector. The fact it is a light projection is capitalized upon, using shadows, distortions, and multiple overlays. This yields bright images, often with sharp edges, strong contrasts, and shapes while carefully controlled, of limited transformability. In the most arresting episodes he begins with a shape and color selection, then adds similar forms and a few colors as the musical development grows. Then a new form is introduced, perhaps with color changes, then the new form blends with the original ones. Greater complexity is brought with further slides expanding of the themes and colors being used. A point of integration of the image character is reached when the music reaches its major development. Then a return to simpler form and color choice accompanies the resolution and conclusion of the music. Some aspect of image change is synchronized with the music, but it is not strict and slavish, but often subtle and only suggested. There are always surprises, an unexpected color change, a combination of forms takes an identity of its own, a style of form that has been in development, suddenly becomes a glorious new form with elaborations only a painter might inflict. While Rudi began using a fixed projection screen in previous years, I understand he has developed this rotating screen technique to satisfy available theatre space. Often the space taken by projection equipment is as much as the audience space. Rudi has mixed the spaces so the audience essentially sits inside the projector. It certainly enhances the space dimension, having three screens, and having them move. There are favored locations - in the balcony out of line with projector directions. Least favored locations were on the floor opposite projector clusters. For everyone there is always more to see than can possibly be comprehended.

3 RS perf. 00/09/20
Now I will carp a bit - an enthusiastic critic, hopefully constructive. The rotating screen is more distracting than constructive, especially as it only gives ten or twenty seconds for building and developing an image before it is terminated by the edge-on change. The screen pace is too dominant, breaks the flow of images, and taxes any rhythm development with projections. The whole idea about wide screen movies is to avoid the fact that edges dominate small images. Any changes with a nearby reference edge are only seen in the context of that edge, not as changes within the images themselves. This hard edge also makes the image look flat, on a moving surface. Normally on a large enough fixed screen colors and forms can conspire to create an illusion of depth. The short time interval of screen rotation makes pauses and slow transformations of the slide images unnoticed and ineffective. Yet this is the essence of dramatic lumia, one can pause and draw out a simple image and then challenge it with a fast flash into a new form, and then rest there for satisfaction with the new complexity. The analogy with dance is close. Visual changes must be roughly ten times slower than music changes, and one can think of image changes taking a line or more, just as a dancer prepares, makes a gesture, resolves it, and pauses. Granted we are told in this media age attention must be captured and then served with variety and extremes. Perhaps for advertising, but say in the concert hall, often a calm and subtle technique produces powerful contrasts. We can assume an audience need not be rocked in their seats all the time, even Disney uses pace effectively both in film and theme parks. Consider a clip from a recent Variety review of Tarzan, since it applies: "Disney productions from earlier decades were marked by strong contrasts between busy moments - musical and otherwise - and interludes of a sometimes haunting quiet and calm, contrasts that greatly heightened the power and drama of the key scenes. .this "Tarzan" would have benefited from a more varied audiovisual tenor, and it has a setting uniquely able to provide it - but this approach must be deemed hopelessly antiquated in an era that values relentless bombardment."

Many beautiful images I only glimpsed, and dearly wished to savor. This more painterly technique depends on grasping the overlays, but they are gone much too soon. Again the primitive aspect of vision dominates, we are overwhelmed by real motion sensation, and apparent motion, that within an image, is hard to grasp and too often rushed. Another aspect of seeing put under stress in this lumia performance is our very limited field of acute vision, about one degree of angle. As with a three ring circus, one has to decide where to look, or one misses the stunt. When one disk screen goes edge on, one looks to another one, having to guess where interesting action related to the previous gaze is taking place. This hopping about of attention breaks the image development rythym and leaves considerable frustration. Perhaps the better strategy is to be more overwhelmed and just generally relax and view in one area, but the space is too large and very active. There are so many great visual ideas flowing at the same time, perhaps Rudi needs to edit the complexity and consider a viewer who wishes to digest the subtlety of his work.

Rudi Stern's Theatre of Light is an arresting, exciting performance unlike any experience most people ever enjoy. Unlike so much offered as multi-media, or new media, Rudi gives us a technically proficient, artistic experience where integrity and talent are beautifully merged. This show is space travel into the world of dreams and our imagination. Here is a trip unlike any other, to fill your mind, enrich your spirit, and challenge your perceptions.

New Performance series: Theatre of Light --- Rudi Stern Flamboyan Theatre 107 Suffolk St. NY City info 212-431-7408 2001 Jan. 12 thru March 31, Wednesdays thru Sundays

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