tony orrico: performance drawings

‘penwald drawings’ tony orrico shoshana wayne gallery santa monica, california from 28 may – 9 july, 2011

‘penwald: 2: 8 circles’ graphite, paper 240” x 240” photo by michael hart

as much of a performance as it is a drawing, the work of american artist tony orrico explores the capacity of the human body as a physical tool for creating art. with a background in dance and choreography, orrico utilizes his own body – sometimes just the wrist, sometimes his whole form – to generate massive drawings that are at once organic and highly precise.

‘I marvel at the composition of nature and cycles,’ says orrico. ‘I am not versed in the convergence of art and mathematics or sciences, but find myself instinctually attracted to this relationship. I try to dilute my efforts and find an experiential point of entrance. I like to experiment with both embodied and cognitive systems that yield beauty. my favorite art is somewhat accidental and overwhelmingly concise.’

whether it be spinning on his torso or pivoting a specific joint, a specific motion is established and repeated throughout the performance. the completion of each piece ranges from 15 minutes to as long as 7 continuous hours.

‘penwald: 6: project, recoil’ (2011) graphite, paper 1.5 hours 60” x 180”photo by bart dykstra

installation view of ‘penwald: 2’ and ‘penwald: 4’ image © peter cox

‘penwald: 4: unison symmetry standing’ (2010) permanent marker on wall 12 hours 80” x 216” photo by michael hart

orrico during a performance photo by michael hart

photo by carlos martin

detail photo by carlos martin

‘penwald: 2: 8 circles’ photo by thomas willemsen

‘penwald: 8: 12 by 12 on knees’ (2011) graphite on paper approximately 6-7 hours 240” x 240”

creating ‘penwald: 3: circle on knees’ photo by efthymia zymvra

orrico during ‘penwald: 5: wrists on walk’ (2011) graphite on paper 60” x 60” photo by bart dykstra