Q and A with Amy Chafe, Untellable’s 2024 Digital Artist in Residence
Photo credit: Greg Locke
Amy Chafe is an independent Newfoundland artist who is fascinated by all types of movement. With a background in partner dance, she has in recent years expanded her view to include a multitude of new partners, such as fabrics, silks, ropes and even stone.
She has an insatiable desire to find new ways to flow and fly, and to connect with the world through movement. Her dream is to continue creating and inspire others to be fearless in their pursuit of joy.
Photo credit: Scott Humber
Q: Can you describe your creative process?
A: My creative process always begins with some type of inspiration. It could be a song, a movement, a location, a costume, or just a moment or feeling, but it is always something that sticks in my brain and I find myself returning to over and over. The more I let it simmer, the more it takes shape. I like to spend time with an idea and let it evolve slowly. I find I work best if I don’t set limits and instead allow my thoughts to spiral in different directions each time I pick up the idea. Gradually I collect other thoughts and concepts that fit, and those pieces get added to the puzzle. I try not to decide where it ends, and instead just continue building, allowing myself to listen to my intuition and swap out pieces when I find another that fits better. An idea is never finished or complete, it can always be picked up again at a later date, and because of this I find it easier to let go of the need to make it perfect. Instead I let anything I create change with me, and embody it as best I can in that moment.
Photo credit: Scott Humber
Q: What themes or concepts are you currently exploring?
A: I am currently exploring the idea of using locations as inspiration for movement. Not just the physical location, but all of the tiny details, the time of day, the light, the angles, the textures. How does my position or orientation within the space affect how I feel about it? What types of feelings or moods does a space inspire me to feel? How can I represent those feelings in my own movements? Can I create and capture those movements in such a way that I can inspire another to feel the same? And then finally, is there a way to translate all of this to a different plane of movement without feeling disconnected?
Photo credit: Scott Humber
Q: How do you integrate movement and technology in your work, and what challenges or breakthroughs have you encountered in blending these elements?
A: Technology has created so many new possibilities for the capturing of movement. I have especially enjoyed working with drone photographers this past year. Drones let us find sweeping views and changing perspectives that are impossible to perceive in person. They let us capture perfect angles with precision. The flowing sweeping views of a drone add an extra layer of complexity and beauty to a scene. The flying of a drone and knowing that perfect perspective is an art unto itself.
Beyond this, simply having the ability to record and edit video opens up a level of exploration and living in the moment that is very hard to achieve in live performance. It is okay to experiment and fail. The freedom of being able to make mistakes and move instinctively instead of being completely bound by a choreography or a watching audience, creates moments of true magic. The resulting piece has a level of freedom and wildness that we cannot witness in person.
Photo credit: Scott Humber
Q: How has your residency at Untellable influenced or expanded your artistic vision?
A: Untellable has given me the opportunity to dig deep into a project. To let it slowly simmer, building momentum without losing focus, and finally growing into a crescendo. It has given me purpose for a project in a way that I have never had before. The motivation and drive that I have gained through knowing that my artistic vision is supported and desired has given me an unbelievable level of inspiration and confidence. It has awakened a curiosity in myself, a desire to see how far I can go, and to discover what I can create next.
Photo credit: Greg Locke