Laban and I Talk about Art

Hand-Holding-Colored-Pencils

CLM:  I can see that you’re sketching.  Your biographers claim you gave up painting to pursue dance…

R. Laban:  I gave up art as a profession, but I’ve always enjoyed drawing.  So when I’m on holiday, I like to sketch, especially landscapes.

CLM:  From digging in your archives,  I know that you did lots of drawings related to dance and movement. These mainly figure drawings and geometrical forms.  Some are quite lovely.

RL:  Thank you.  The drawings you are talking about weren’t meant for public display.  It was just my way of thinking. You see, long ago when I studied figure drawing at the Beaux Arts Academy in Paris, we used geometric forms to help with proportion and foreshortening.  I found those same techniques really helpful when I started to study trace-forms.

CLM:  I’m glad you brought up trace-forms.  I’ve been meaning to ask you ….