WHAT IS PANTHERA TIGRIS?
An Experience.Panthera tigris is a Boston-based art experience in a theatrical context. This work explores themes of sustainability and wildlife conservation through the use of lighting, sound, scenery, and projected animation. You are invited to participate in a one-of-a-kind interaction with one of this planet's most regal, and most endangered, species--the tiger.
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THE ABSTRACT
What inspired the work?
Tigers are in crisis. 3,900 remain in the wild—97% fewer than 100 years ago. Three subspecies are already extinct. As a visual theatre artist, I propose to address this crisis by developing storytelling experiences that inspire lasting emotional impact and motivate action.
Through audio, scenic, and lighting design, I will create a unique immersive environment within a 360 degree installation. Curated experiences with the presence of a virtual tiger within that space will inspire viewers to overcome their preconceptions of tigers as savage and dangerous, to develop positive and joyful associations with tigers, and to despair at the loss of habitat that is forcing tigers to disappear.
Panthera tigris is a passion project for me. Three years in the making, this work honors my lifelong interest in tigers and their conservation. It will not come as a surprise that tigers are my favorite animal. This experience is my way of grappling with the question of how my artwork can be a vehicle for raising awareness about issues that are important to me--and to all of us. It is my great hope that one day I will have the opportunity to work on a project such as this one that can travel to multiple sites to help educate about conservation and sustainability.
Through audio, scenic, and lighting design, I will create a unique immersive environment within a 360 degree installation. Curated experiences with the presence of a virtual tiger within that space will inspire viewers to overcome their preconceptions of tigers as savage and dangerous, to develop positive and joyful associations with tigers, and to despair at the loss of habitat that is forcing tigers to disappear.
Panthera tigris is a passion project for me. Three years in the making, this work honors my lifelong interest in tigers and their conservation. It will not come as a surprise that tigers are my favorite animal. This experience is my way of grappling with the question of how my artwork can be a vehicle for raising awareness about issues that are important to me--and to all of us. It is my great hope that one day I will have the opportunity to work on a project such as this one that can travel to multiple sites to help educate about conservation and sustainability.
Panthera tigris in process.
Sustainability in art.
One of the goals for this project is to explore ways to make art artmaking, especially when it comes to theatre, more sustainable. When selecting materials for Panthera tigris, I determined that they should either be
1. Recycled/repurposed - materials that are given a second life through this process and would otherwise have been trash.
The projection screen scenic element is built from reclaimed pallets and old New England wooden fence panels. I disassembled the fence panels using a crow bar to be sure to use as much of them as possible. The mirror mosaic floor base is an MDF floor that a theater company in town no longer wanted.
2. Reusable - materials that are not use-once-and-throw-away.
The fabric and fiber optics that will dress the projection surface are reusable for other projects. I've tried to protect the LED tape (usually considered an expendable because of its fragility) for reuse by adhering it to strips of wood cut from scrap luan.
I am working on solutions to convert materials that might not otherwise be reusable into art. The mirror floor panels will be cleaned up and re-purposed as wall art. The confetti curtains can't be stored without tangling, so I hope to use the confetti in resin artwork for a future project. I saved the nails that I removed from the fence panels for a similar purpose.
The goal is to pave the way for reducing the impact of my artmaking in the future by asking myself to think critically about the impact Panthera tigris is having on our global resources.
1. Recycled/repurposed - materials that are given a second life through this process and would otherwise have been trash.
The projection screen scenic element is built from reclaimed pallets and old New England wooden fence panels. I disassembled the fence panels using a crow bar to be sure to use as much of them as possible. The mirror mosaic floor base is an MDF floor that a theater company in town no longer wanted.
2. Reusable - materials that are not use-once-and-throw-away.
The fabric and fiber optics that will dress the projection surface are reusable for other projects. I've tried to protect the LED tape (usually considered an expendable because of its fragility) for reuse by adhering it to strips of wood cut from scrap luan.
I am working on solutions to convert materials that might not otherwise be reusable into art. The mirror floor panels will be cleaned up and re-purposed as wall art. The confetti curtains can't be stored without tangling, so I hope to use the confetti in resin artwork for a future project. I saved the nails that I removed from the fence panels for a similar purpose.
The goal is to pave the way for reducing the impact of my artmaking in the future by asking myself to think critically about the impact Panthera tigris is having on our global resources.
