Carrying three wooden chairs in her arms through the wintry woods, one of them previously belonging to her grandmother, Rachel Echenberg’s performance plays on the artist’s physical relationship with her materials. As she works to juggle the three irregular objects, the artist’s labored maneuvering is witnessed by the viewer: first from a distance, barely perceptible through the trees like an apparition or a wild animal, and then, gradually, from up close, revealing the fine details of her choreography. Sound is particularly important in this film, as wooden legs chime against each other, creating an echo that resembles locking antlers or the hammering of a woodpecker.
Since 1992 Rachel Echenberg’s work has been performed, exhibited and screened across Canada, Europe, Asia and USA. Her video work is represented by Vidéographe in Montreal and Vtape in Toronto. Rachel Echenberg currently teaches at Dawson College where she is chairperson of the Fine Arts Department.
