Artist’s Physical Gestures Produce Beautiful Charcoal Drawings

Using just her body and a piece of charcoal, New Orleans-based performance artist Heather Hansen bends and twists in fluid motions across the surface of paper to create beautifully rough symmetrical shapes and patterns. Her captivating performances involve dance-like movements that are just as much the main focus as the final, large-scale drawings.

Watching her process is a mesmerizing experience where lines emerge from her many natural, physical gestures. Without hesitation, she repeats her movements and smears the lines together into the final, unpredictable works. She then lifts her body off of the page to reveal the one-of-a-kind pieces.

Hansen quotes Joseph Campbell as part of her inspiration behind her work: “The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe. To match your nature with Nature.”

Photo Credits: Spencer Hansen; David Seelig
Heather Hansen's website

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