Darshana Shilpi Rouget x Juliet Burnett x Joel Benguigui
Ballet dancer Juliet Burnett and photographer Joel Benguigui collaborate with Darshana Shilpi Rouget, founder of Alba Amicorum.
“I find these images are raw and poetic. A flat piece of art – brought to life by the wearer. Here, with Juliet Burnett, it is a dance of the square”.
-Darshana Shilpi Rouget
Tell us about your artistic practice.
As a painter I’ve come to rely on process and improvisation as a vehicle for content and personal discovery. My paintings are primarily abstract, colorful, and conscious of the interactions I make with my materials and gestures. They are about the shared imagination and awareness of our unique existence, with all its joys and pitfalls.
How long have you known each other? Have you ever worked together before?
I’ve known Darshana for at least 24 years. We actually met in a yoga class. We have worked together many times on design projects over the years, but this is the first on-site painting collaboration.
Why do you feel collaboration in art (or beyond) is important?
Collaboration is an intimate form of communication, very much like dance, or improvisational jazz, each person responds to the timing, space, and physical attributes of the other collaborators. The results can be beyond the scope of each individual, something neither could create on their own.
One must maintain very focused attention, and consciously lay a groundwork for the best of the collaborator’s skills to emerge, and to also inspire and respond with your own best riffs.
scarf: summer frost
scarf: ascending space
“This collaboration makes me feel like exploring new territories and streamlining my photography. It woke a deep desire within me, for making images loaded with emotions – bare, raw, yet full of beauty.”
- Joel Benguigui
“I took inspiration for my movement from the artwork on each scarf, and in the gorgeous light of the space, I simply danced in response. Like a dialogue with each individual piece.”
- Juliet Burnett
“It is important to cross-collaborate to keep those traditional art forms vibrant, alive and relevant to a contemporary society. Learning more about other art forms enriches me as an artist.”
- Juliet Burnett
“It was somehow both surprising and expected to see how Juliet could bring Darshana’s work to life. Her movement gives a beautiful 3-dimensional aspect and extracts the spirit and soul from each scarf. We gave each other unlimited freedom to create this series of photographs.”
- Joel Benguigui
