Peep (Corps Intérieur)

(David Pressault Danse)

Artist Statement
Gareth Bate
View Peep Photographs

The Peep photography series is a voyeuristic experience of peering through holes that reveal a forbidden world. These haunting images feel like moments that shouldn't be seen. They are imprisoned people engaged in private sexual acts or personal emotional torment.

Peep is a series shot over the course of 12 performances of the contemporary dance production Corps Intérieur (Inner Body). The experimental performances by David Pressault Danse in collaboration with Danse-Cité, were performed at the Monument National Theatre in Montreal in January and December 2009. The show was very well reviewed in Le Devoir, La Presse, and the Hour among others.

I created the set design installation for this production. It pushed the boundaries of painting, as well as set design, with an immersive environment where the audience descended into a glowing underworld reminiscent of a pulsing inner body. The audience was invited to wander the space and interact with the dancers. The design incorporated five "peep show" boxes made of painted cotton and hundreds of layers of plastic cling wrap with paint between the layers. The audience peeked through holes in the boxes to view the dancers inside. Lucie Bazzo created a powerful lighting design.

These photographs began as documentation of the show but quickly evolved into a striking body of work that stands alone from the performance. This exhibition would recreate this voyeuristic experience, as the viewer peers through these photographic holes to discover a disturbing world that evokes the darkest aspects of the psyche.

Visual Artist / Set Designer: Gareth Bate
Original Concept & Choreography:
David Pressault
Producers: David Pressault Danse & Danse-Cité
Location: Monument National de Montreal Theatre, Montreal, Quebec
First Run: Jan. 21 - Jan 31, 2009
Second Run: Dec 3 -5, 2009
Medium: Acrylic in layers of plastic cling-wrap, acrylic on cotton
Documentation: Gareth Bate

With the choreographic participation
of the interpreters (Dancers):
Angie Cheng, Anne LeBeau, David Flewelling, Karina Iraola, Karsten Krall, Daniel Soulières
Costumes / Makeup: Angelo Barsetti
Lighting Designer: Lucie Bazzo
Music: Michel F. Côté
Stage Manager: Armando Gomez Rubio
Répétitrice: Catherine Viau
Poster Design: Photograph: Nicolas Ruel,Visual Mediation: Gareth Bate, Dancer: Angie Cheng

Collaborateurs
Costumes & Maquillage: Angelo Barsetti
Lumières: Lucie Bazzo
Musique: Michel F. Côté
Répétitrice: Catherine Viau
Stage Manager: Armando Gomez Rubio
Remount Stage Manager: Alexandra Langlois