Constant Discovery: Leslie Thornton’s ‘Radical Symmetry’

Best known for her series of films entitled Peggy and Fred in Hell, New York avant-garde filmmaker Leslie Thornton is one of the most influential art filmmakers of her generation, exploring issues between East and West, as well as the role of technology in our lives. In her newest work entitled ‘Radical Symmetry’, Thornton turns her lens onto the animal world, exploring mankind's relationship with it.   

Two circular images are projected side by side on a black screen. On the left, a black parrot appears in profile, sitting pensively, its silky, graphite feathers ruffled. On the right, a kaleidoscopic image of globular shapes appears. As the parrot shifts and moves, so too does the image to its right. In the interplay between the two images, aspects of the animal are suddenly made more present: its breathing, the way its mouth moves under the hook of its beak, the red around its eye. It’s these sudden insights into the lives of animals that Leslie Thornton aims to captivate in her current exhibition ‘Radical Symmetry’, part of a greater series of films that she calls The Binocular Series.

Getting the idea while taking photos of deceased animals, Thornton began to experiment with filming live animals and discovered how to use her signature binocular technique. Describing the process, Thornton says, “I move forward blindly, with as little foreknowledge as possible. This makes the working process one of constant discovery. As I work, I want to learn more and then can get more heavily involved in my research.”

However, despite her commitment to moving forward “blindly” in her work, Thornton acknowledges that expectations and prejudices can affect her creations and the behaviour of the animals that she films. Thornton describes the recent filming of a monarch butterfly emerging from its chrysalis.

“Because of a change in the colouring of the [butterfly’s] chrysalis I knew that the event would occur the next day. I placed a small stick of wood over the twig it was on that night to stabilise its movement against the wind. The next morning I ran out with my camera as soon as I woke up and it was happening, so I started shooting. It was supposed to happen within a matter of minutes, but after one hour of watching and filming I began to worry the stick I'd placed there was causing a problem. The animal was pushing against the stick instead of against the chrysalis casing.

“Another hour passed and I was sure it was dying, only half-way out. I removed my stick and then the amazing appendages, which had fully developed as I watched, struck with futility into thin air, where the stick had been. I watched its energy drain, with my camera still running, and I finally cut it down myself and gently pushed away the remaining casing. I hid it in some grass and it seemed to revive somewhat, then fell and was out of sight. I don't know if it survived. I am certain I interfered with its instinctive process of emergence. It was a very draining experience, but I have fascinating footage, and now I will study more about this process of emergence with the greatest intensity and interest.

“It's a good metaphor for how I work, though I'm not used to killing something along the way! But I do need to feel vulnerable when I'm filming, so as to be fully alert, responsive, focused, and able to take chances in the present tense.”

And while Thornton’s attentiveness to these animals has revealed something about her own process, it has also taught her a great deal about the animals themselves. “It's a pleasure to work with non-verbal creatures and to look for signs that we usually pass over. Also, it has been interesting to see which species seem to acknowledge human presence in a way we can discern. For example I'm not sure whether the alligators [that I photographed] were very interested or concerned by my presence. They seemed very far away.”

Thornton also feels that during the progress of her project her interests in her subjects have developed and changed. “At first I was primarily interested in watching the way animals moved or did not move, and the abstraction on the right focused on these characteristics. Now I give myself much broader liberties for interpretation of the animal’s behaviour, taking into consideration the environment, for instance, which may include some man-made presence.” As an example, she cites her work ‘Binocular: Sheep Machine’ in which sheep grazing in the Alps are coupled with the movements of gondolas passing overhead. “I created the effects in such a way that the whole event begins to take on science fiction or horror film overtones. There is hint of a narrative.”

This show marks Thornton’s fourth trip Shanghai, a city that she feels remains her base in China. “It’s where I have friends and can walk the streets endlessly.” However, more than anything else, Shanghai taps into Thornton’s inexhaustible urge to drive towards the unknown. “I love to not feel I understand everything I see, because it is a reminder that life and the world are endless.”

Leslie Thornton’s ‘Radical Symmetry’, will run until 31 May at the Elisabeth de Brabant Art Center (Tues – Friday, 10.30am – 6.30pm; Sat and Sun, 1.30 – 6.30pm; Mon by appointment), 299 Fuxing Xi Lu, near Huashan Lu. Tel: 6466 7428