Saya Woolfalk Artist Interview: The Possibility Of All Kinds Of Mixing
To experience Saya Woolfalk's work is to become immersed in a scientific folklore where biology and anthropology inform fables of utopia. In Greek, "utopia" translates literally as "no" (ou) and "place" (topos), and in a collaborative series with anthropologist Rachel Lears, entitled No Place, Woolfalk posits ways in which "no placeians" can more readily become a part of a utopian society.
In her most recent development upon this theme, Woolfalk has incorporated a new element -- that of dual consciousness and foreign beings, via the narrative of a fictional species called Empathics. Through the use of psychedelically-colored exhibits, scientific slide shows, dance performances, and a very multi-disciplinary artistic practice, Woolfalk is learning how to use art shows to create utopian worlds in and of themselves.
Mania and energy are as apparent in the man as in his work. As we sit and shout over espresso beans being ground, Eatcho sips his drink and tells me that one reason that he's able to work intensely is that he's an insomniac, averaging just four or five hours of sleep a night. This also means that, while the bedroom studio setup is constricting to a lot of artists, he prefers it.
"When I get up, it's good to have my work right there," he explains. "I mean, I have that thing where I'm constantly running upstairs to put my ideas down."
