Agatha, Herself. is a series of video works created for ComPeung . The video series centers on a character named Agatha and follows her as she navigates an experience of loss. As the narrative moves between descriptive and abstracted storytelling, these works highlight the body as a site of joy, mourning, mistake-making and intimacy.
I am interested in creating a series of objects and videos related to my recent exploration of Japanese Butoh Dance and the way in which this dance form conveys a speciļ¬c yet abstracted story through hyper-realized emotional expression. I plan to fashion a series of symbolic objects, small collages and simple costumes to weave into several autobiographical dances that will be set amongst the plants and natural environment of the ComPeung Residency. These dances will then be turned into video works that I plan to showcase upon my return to the United States.
Sarah Bernstein is a Portland-based artist, performer and storyteller. Combining themes of symbolism, visual storytelling and cultural context through a variety of media, her work aims to portray both a collective and personal cannon of contemporary mythology. She received a B.F.A. in Printmaking from Washington University in St. Louis and her work has been shown around the United States and Internationally.