Janine Antoni and Stephen Petronio, Honey Baby (video still), 2013. Courtesy the artists. Production still from the series Exclusive. © Art21, Inc. 2014.
“One thing that is very evident in [Stephen Petronio’s] work is that it has this kind of exuberance and complexity… What I would like to do is offer him stillness.” —Janine Antoni
In today’s Exclusive, filmed in 2013, artist Janine Antoni and choreographer Stephen Petronio discuss their collaborative process. Instead of working strictly within their respective fields, Petronio and Antoni blur the lines between sculptor, performer, and choreographer as they create works for the stage as well as for the camera. After collaborating with Petronio on his piece Like Lazarus Did (2013), Antoni worked with him to make Honey Baby (2013), a video of company dancer Nick Sciscione moving through a honey coated sculptural space. “We were very interested in making a video where one could not feel gravity,” says Antoni.
Like Lazarus Did is part of the Stephen Petronio Company’s current tour, visiting Portland, OR; San Francisco, CA; and Scottsdale, AZ, in addition to a week of performances in New York City. Honey Baby is on view at the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh, PA until March 30 as part of Antoni’s solo exhibition, Within.
Exclusive is supported, in part, by by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; 21c Museum Hotel, and by individual contributors.
