ABOUT LPP, a unique style of storytelling by painting a film to life, live.
LLP (Live.Projection.Painting) is a unique multidisciplinary process that involves projected film, live performance and live painting in order to bring to life an immersive story. Reality, space & time are questioned via the physical layering of images.. Often causing the viewer to rethink their own understanding.
Concepts of touch, loss & memory erupt a non verbal dialogue between artist & canvas, canvas & space, space & audience, audience & time, time & reality.. Reality & illusion.. Connecting stories through concepts surrounding dialogues of 'dissapearance'.
It's a practice created by Estabrak Al-Ansari, Athena Anastasiou and Emily Campbell-Burdette back in 2012 as part of their London based collaborative 'Thre3 Strokes'.
Estabrak has been working solo on her own collection of LPP works since 2014, developing the process even further, bringing this new art form to internationally spaces such as the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
Tales of the Mother tongue: A 03 Part Live Projection Painting
Estabrak Al-Ansari // Live Projection Painting // 2016-2018
Tales of the Mother tongue is a project surrounding female warriors of Amazigh past who cannot be found in any history books but are found only in mythological books or in Morocco's oral histories. It's a unique 03 part project which incorporates live painting, performance and film to resurrect forgotten tales through Estabrak’s unique process of painting film to life - live.
This project is about colonisation, about rewriting herstory and regaining that strength, root and purpose so often forgotten. A piece about the continuous complexities that come with women of war, women with natural strength and courage..
Before the projection painting starts, audience members found themselves in a darkened smoked out venue, with only a flute player, a performer and lights to begin the story. Shadow play has been the introduction of this piece and live projection painting was the finale of it.
This project has been kindly supported by:
Mawa3eed Travel Grant (2015)
AFAC (Arab Funds for Arts and Culture) (2016)
B#Side WAR (2016)
SEAS (Socially Engaged Art Salon) (2016)
The Marlborough Theatre (2018)
BRIGHTON FRINGE FESTIVAL (2018)
V.I.V Records (2018)
KHIAL NKHEL (2018)
QUEENS COLLECTIVE (2018)
Part 01 of the project was initially created for and presented at #MB6 / The Marrakech Biennale 2016 as part of their Parellel Projects Program. Performed both in 2016 & 2018 at Dar Cherifa; one of Marrakech's oldest standing building, over 500yrs to it's past the piece could not of had a better location for the story to be told.
in 2018 part 02 & 03 were completed and presented again both in Morocco and in the UK as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival 2018.
Clip teaser Jin & Motion: Part 01 15mins Aprox. 2015.
A LPP (Live Projection.Painting.Performance) created by Estabrak Al-Ansari, Visual Artist & Film Maker. Muscat, Oman 2015 Collection: Consciousness
Jin & Motion is a 03 part series merging together live painting, performance and film making. Topics explored within this 03 part series are mythology, Djinn, mortality and subjects surrounding power, culture, women and feminism. This series of work examines, through visual experimentation, the notion of existing in dynamics and places you cannot exist in. Reality vs Mythology.. This world and the hereafter.
Transformation & Transcendance. Portugal 2013.
This film helps to show the process of LPP greatly.
Merging together film, projection, live painting and performance.. Thre3 Strokes perform their unique live art in Portugal. Thre3 Strokes are a collaboration of three close friends and artists; Athena Anastasiou, Emily Campbell-Burdett and Estabrak Al-Ansari.
Jin & Motion: Part 02. 2015.
8mins approx Estabrak Al-Ansari // Live Projection Painting Performance Muscat, Oman 2015 Collection: Consciousness
Following on from part 01, 'Jin & Motion: Part 02' plays between the notions of projection and shadow play. Merging together elements related to Omani mythology, figures come to life through live music, dance and illusion. This is a performance piece in relation to the LPP 'Jin & Motion: Part 01'.
How does it work?
Guests are lead from the main exhibition area through to the installation rooms via the live & unpredicted, accompaniment of a clarinet player. She, the clarinet player, was sat waiting in the main exhibition room, completely covered, faceless and instrument less like a living sculpture until it was time..
Upon entering the first installation room the guests were met with an object seemingly like a box in a dark space. Awaiting them inside this firm frame draped with flowing fabric, lay a spirit brought to life through the sounds of the clarinet. Only when the player sat down beside the frame, after having lead the audience through to the space, did the projection come to life causing shadow play between the performer inside the box and the fabrics draped around her. Sounds of the ocean mixed with the live accompaniment of the clarinet set the mood for a visually poetic performance..
A stunning sight to see, the burning of frankincense inside the draped frame left it's fabricated edges and into the projected light.. Was it her soul that was breathing or just images in our minds?
Jin & Motion: Part 03 . 2015
8mins approx Estabrak Al-Ansari // Live Projection Painting Performance Muscat, Oman 2015 Collection: Consciousness
Following on from part 01 & 02, 'Jin & Motion: Part 03' is the final installment of the Omani based series. It's loosely based around concepts of female inner strength and struggle especially in line with the culture within the Middle East. It's a series that weaves in and out of water based elements, layering it's way as it is revealed.
Eid Fatima (Fatima's hand)
Live Projection Painting Performance piece @ cinealt, Marakech, Morocco, 8mins.
November 2013.
Thre3 Strokes were again invited to take part in another international based arts program. This time alongside 'Mint Collective'; an international residency program based in Marrakech, Morocco. We continued our 'live projection painting' experiences, this time based around the highly superstitious Moroccan culture and history surrounding religion, black magic and superstition. The pre recorded film coming to life, again through live painting through hands and performance arts. This time we aded another element, that of live music- A flute player.
Thre3 Strokes were there for just over a week and created an 'immersive' cinematic experience with Mint Collective, merging together live projection painting, live music and live performance all under one roof. Together, we called it 'CineAlt'.
At the time, the 5th Marrakech Biennial was running as well as the Marrakech International Film Festival and so we wanted to create an event that could hold it's worth and be true to it's core; which is the arts. We found the oldest cinema in town, right amongst the souks, and to our surprised was untouched for over 40years. Dust filled the space, homeless cats took up most it's corners. This space was incredible and completely enriching to the piece & the immersive experience. We invited members of the general public to come and experience what we had to offer, free of charge, in hope to engage more with the wider community within Marrakech.
Queues gathered at the entrance to the cinema. Guests being lead down to their seats via guiding flash lights and the sound of a flute. It was pitch black in there. Then when the audience settled, it was time.. Projector came on, the performance began..
The response was incredible, the people never having seen anything like it before.