The original piece showcased at this exhibition is a film performance titled “Dream Reel,” a mixed-media performance by Jud Yalkut at the Floating Theater. This work was collaboratively created and performed by Yukihisa Isobe and Jud Yalkut at the State University of Oneonta (NYSY) in Oneonta, Upstate New York. In June 2024, this project was revisited for an event at the University of Pennsylvania Library, incorporating Yalkut’s film footage and a parachute canopy.
At the time of the original creation, experimental filmmakers, including Yalkut, Rudi Stern, and Jackie Cassen, were exploring new types of screens as alternatives to the conventional, static, flat square screens that were commonly used. They were seeking innovative ways to project their images. Yalkut, particularly interested in the movement of air structures which I was experimenting with, approached me to use a parachute canopy as a projection surface. Similarly, Rudi Stern and Jackie Cassen found air domes compelling as projection recipients. Additionally, performers like Charlotte Moorman and Nam June Paik were exploring aerial performances using hot air balloons. A mention by Jonas Mekas, a film critic for the Village Voice, about these new types of projection recipients marked a significant moment in the exploration of alternative visual experiences.
