Y’All Go Rhythm is a multimedia project of interactive dance platforms (and paintings) inspired by Iranian art and architecture, and by the exuberant dancing in Persian gatherings. The artist serves Persian-inspired hospitality, and invites viewers to dance with her to a mix of Iranian, American and other dance floor anthems. This project looks to Iranian hospitality, poetry, and its celebrations seeking light in darkness to offer a beacon in dark, divisive and inhospitable times.
Color-changing lights within the platforms enhance the feeling of pulsation and rhythmic movement in the Persian-inspired patterns and colors. This project offers an embodied understanding of festive, soulful aspects of Iranian culture and humanity that get erased in propagandas and violence. It also gives viewers an experiential understanding of ways in which humanity and cultures are connected.
Each dance platform is a layered work of art that dialogues with Iranian art history and culture. They also draw inspiration from art made for NYC clubs in the 1980s; the collages of artist and Stonewall veteran Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt; DIY Punk; Saturday Night Fever, and Soul Train. While I pay tribute to my specific sources, I hope to evoke feelings of universality and connection.
(triptych) Acrylic, gesso and glitter on panel, 78” x 144” x 2”