Fan Dance - Paris

Dorr Bothwell

Angular and vibrating, this simple, abstracted gouache composition takes the theory of fan dancing - either burlesque, Japanese, or both - and deconstructs it into a minimalistic set of lines that resemble a flock of marsh birds or a leggy kinetic structure.

The genius of this composition lies in the deconstruction of one art form to create another entirely: considering that the title includes the word “Paris” it can be presumed Bothwell was referring to the feathery erotic dance that saw great popularity in the City of Lights from the 1930s through the ‘60s, whose choreography is meant to portray a soft femininity that is fluid in movement. Here, Bothwell strips the dance into a sharp, simple language, never disregarding the movement, only amplifying it.