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Constellations and Influences: Yvonne Rainer

In 2012 Danspace Project presented two historic Platforms, Parallels and Judson Now. In 2013 we continue to explore artistic constellations and lineages. What web of connections do new generations of artists trace? Who are their influences?

This season we will ask each artist to share a significant artistic influence. Below is Yvonne Rainer’s response.

Yvonne Rainer: My most significant artistic influences have been — in chronological order —  1) George Sugarman because I met him when I was just beginning to think that I might be some kind of artist and he provided a much more advanced template of such a way of life; 2) Robert Rauschenberg because I practically rolled on the floor with laughter when I first saw his work at the Castelli Gallery in 1957; 3) Simone Forti because she too had been doing it longer and inspired me with her rogue intelligence and derring-do; 4) John Cage because of his mischievous brilliance and radical approach to putting things together; 5) Merce Cunningham because of his kinetic genius; 6) Robert Dunn because of his calm and loving approach to Cage’s ideas; and 7) Hollis Frampton because he showed me the power of the printed word as projected image.

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Yvonne Rainer and Group’s performances run January 24-26, 2013 at Danspace Project

comments (2)

• dina mcdermott
  1:59 pm
  January 24, 2013

  When she mentions Robert Dunn, does the one who was the Judson church teacher,or robert Dunn the Cunningham dancer?
• admin
  9:55 am
  January 25, 2013

  Yvonne is referring to Robert Dunn who was a student of John Cage’s music composition classes in the late 1950s/early 1960s at the New School. Robert Dunn started a workshop based on Cage’s ideas for choreographers that gave rise to Judson Dance Theater. You may be thinking of Douglas Dunn who was a member of Merce Cunningham Dance Company in the early 1970s. He was then a member of The Grand Union and formed his own company in the late 1970s. Douglas Dunn and his company will perform at Danspace Project in two weeks! http://www.danspaceproject.org/calendarandtickets/detail.php?id=204