What does it mean to work in a collaborative way?

 

Six eyes see more than two add to that 4 camera eyes; and this collaboration resulted in more than the sum of its parts, by far. 

 

Having worked with many different artists during various stages of my life, pursuing diverse intentions and outcomes in different cultures and environments, working collaboratively has become a desired part my life and practice.

 

Working collaboratively can be felt as a limit on ones own individuality as an artist but, in the right constellation, working with others can become a synergic process – seen by the camera and unbeknown to 2 of us one camera eye watched as 3 artists set about the preparation for a performance in ‘a parable of endeavour’. 

 

That became the performance that held interest way beyond the performance on the beach of the early part of the painting that was gently given over to the sea to continue a process of transformation by the movement of water controlled by the moon.

 

None of us had a conception of a final film we only knew that we would go down to the beach with paper and paints and various cameras and film.

 

We had foreseen the destruction of the paper but had not predicted the return of the “wreck” to the shore.

 

The ‘laying out’ is captured with intention by a central camera giving way to individual shots captured from all parts of the project with the artists visible together in the bubbles in the sea in the last moments of the film.

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Joanna Jones writing about her experience of collaborating with

Helen Lindon and Clare Smith on 'A Parable for Endeavour'

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