Digital Age Performance – Visual Poems

Micheala Bartoňová does magic on iPad with her finger to be passed through a projector onto a large shining screen where it gets accompanied by a shadow of Ralf Lücke, an actor and mime, who joins in the graphic movements. He plays with the projections on his own body. The space, a cave, a city and creatures who thanks to hi-tech iPad appear with ease on the stage to be suddenly erased, deformed or transformed into bizzar beauty. Nothing remains as it was. Fascinated by visual riddles you feel unable to break away from the story. It's just like a dream...

Drawing in Motion is a crossroad of several artistic forms: acting, masquerade, puppets, movement and music meeting an utterly contemporary digital tool on the stage – a live drawing on iPad.

Drawing in Motion - Teaser ( please, click to the arrow in the centre of the picture) :

What we see is a projection of live drawing in Paper by FiftyThree on iPad being performed in real time directly on scene. It is not an animation! In addition, an actor fleshes out the drawings with motion sliding into dance, or creating a situation and holding a conversation with the drawing.

Matthew Burt: 2015 Prague Fringe Review – Drawing in Motion

Hypnotic dream like live art piece: total Fringe theatre Brilliance. Drawing in motion is a sensory delight that holds a powerful effect over its audience and will sit in the memory long after the experience. From children of 3 to 83 we are absorbed by the mesmerising beauty and simplicity of Michaela’s drawings as they grow and take shape in front of our eyes, connecting to the deeper part of our subconscious and appealing to the almost aboriginal and essential parts of ourselves. The two performers work seamlessly together, one never compromising the other, to blend what appears on the screen with the mime and puppetry on the stage; performed by the excellent Ralf lucke. This idea of drawing in motion not only comes from the fact that we see Michaela’s skilful hand visibly creating these images live on her ipad but also because they are created in rhythm and time to the music and through Ralf’s playful interaction with the images on screen the piece could almost be described as a dance piece, with a swipe across the ipad changing the scene moving us through the story like a flip book. It’s almost short of a miracle that in the age of distraction with the flash and bang types gadgets and gizmos that we’ve become accustomed to, something so humble and non-verbal could transfix an audience to the point of absolute silence. As it was we sat spellbound by the slow and steady rhythm of the fantastic score and these gradual emerging shapes that reveal themselves to be: tigers, elephants or something stranger. To dismiss it as childlike would be unfair as it contains the potency to limit the chatter in the brain and unlock a greater human need: the need to reflect and focus on one thing occasionally and through this the show is able to carry through its important message of man’s influence over disappearing wildlife without preaching or scolding, which rightfully should be praised. The show is beautiful.

Drawing in Motion is a method that allows for visual presentation of variety of information charged with emotion and high aesthetic values. A 1 hour show develops episodes of animals and men. The individual sketches could also stand alone because they always contain a reflection, riddle or surprise. In addition, they can be modified to suit various occasions – festival openings, congress presentations, etc. They may provide a welcome visual complement to arid lectures. Anyone can enjoy live drawing and surprising turning points, especially when the drawn line runs with ease and brilliancy across a 4 meter screen.

The original Drawing in Motion is a performance with abstract environmental undertone.

Original drawing from the show

Short video from 2013 - please click the arrow in the centre of picture :

Drawing in Motion

TINEOLA THEATER

Idea: Michaela Bartonova

Script: Michaela Bartonová, Ralf Lücke

Music: Ralf Lücke

Direction: Mark Pitman

Choreography: Tereza Indráková

Performed: Ralf Lücke

Drawing and painting on iPad: Michaela Bartonová

Supported by Fond Budoucnosti

Encouragement and custom Paper by FiftyThree