Spring Break
Local artist merges her athleticism and art
BRITTANY FORRESTAL
Issue date: 6/25/09 Section: Variety
In one look at the artwork of Jennifer Desormeaux, a viewer sees the combination of precise blue lines, geometrical tracings of geographical degrees, large, white imprinted papers and video imaging of a woman, running, with wind-blown hair.
In the world of Desormeaux, this interdisciplinary artistic undertaking is more than a personal reflection; it is an effort to combine the worlds of art and athletics by creatively documenting the remarkable extremes of a grueling physical process. Through her efforts, anyone can experience Desormeaux's process at the local artist's Athica exhibition this month.
It all started just four years ago when Desormeaux, then a senior in college, first took up running in an attempt to diversify her athletic experiences. After spending her early college years participating in triple-jump and volleyball, Desormeaux said she was hesitant to run because of her past experiences with the sport.
"It took about a year," she said of how long she spent learning how to enjoy the sport. "[Finally], it became a ritualistic experience that I could do a few times a week."
About six months after she began to truly enjoy running as both a physical and mental practice, she completed her first marathon in Nashville, Tenn. Afterward she told herself that her future races would be of a much smaller magnitude.
Desormeaux continued to run and began ritualistically documenting her runs in an attempt to both reflect on and interpret the grueling physical process.
"It started with the mapping," she said. "I started to think about routes as lines. I [became] interested in how we make marks in various forms."
It was after this discovery that Desormeaux began running with her iPhone, using it as a GPS to track her routes. Out of this simple documentation grew an obsession that she said inspired her to begin documenting more aspects of the training process.
Soon, she began photographing scenes from her routes as well as videotaping and recording herself running. She even began collecting her sweat on tissue paper, ultimately scanning and enlarging the papers to create oversized, white, intricately-patterned images. It was this obsessive documentation, Desormeaux said, that inspired her to begin training for her second marathon.
"I had enough satisfaction with [half marathons], but I couldn't stop," she said. "I told myself that if I wanted to be an athlete and an artist, I needed to prove that I can do both. 'Make it a marathon,' [I said,] 'and get as much work out of it.'"
For the five months that she trained for her second marathon, Desormeaux continued to document the running process in the same painstaking way she had recorded her past runs.
"Initially, I didn't know how it would evolve. The videos are a bit jarring and jerky but they're very meditative and a reflection of why I run in the first place. And I loved figuring out that sweat could make an imprint and be blown up," she said.
Desormeaux's exhibit is best described as a multi-media exploration of the running process, featuring GPS maps, yarn-and-pin diagrams of her weekly running distances, audio and video of selected runs and the enlarged sweat imprints.
Now that Desormeaux has completed her second marathon, she has reinstated her plan to stick to smaller runs in the future. She still runs, averaging three to four runs a week when her schedule permits. According to Desormeaux, though the intense and grueling training process has temporarily ended, the documentation process is ongoing and ever-evolving.
When: Thursdays 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. until July 19
Where: Athica, 160 Tracy St.
Cost: Free
"I'm still really interested in mapping and in this obsession [with documenting the process]. I do like how this has become autobiographical. I do feel I'm not done in those elements," she said.
And though she may not have any immediate marathon plans, she hopes to attempt either a triathlon or an adventure run sometime in the future.
"Training? Yes. For what? I don't know."
In the world of Desormeaux, this interdisciplinary artistic undertaking is more than a personal reflection; it is an effort to combine the worlds of art and athletics by creatively documenting the remarkable extremes of a grueling physical process. Through her efforts, anyone can experience Desormeaux's process at the local artist's Athica exhibition this month.
It all started just four years ago when Desormeaux, then a senior in college, first took up running in an attempt to diversify her athletic experiences. After spending her early college years participating in triple-jump and volleyball, Desormeaux said she was hesitant to run because of her past experiences with the sport.
"It took about a year," she said of how long she spent learning how to enjoy the sport. "[Finally], it became a ritualistic experience that I could do a few times a week."
About six months after she began to truly enjoy running as both a physical and mental practice, she completed her first marathon in Nashville, Tenn. Afterward she told herself that her future races would be of a much smaller magnitude.
Desormeaux continued to run and began ritualistically documenting her runs in an attempt to both reflect on and interpret the grueling physical process.
"It started with the mapping," she said. "I started to think about routes as lines. I [became] interested in how we make marks in various forms."
It was after this discovery that Desormeaux began running with her iPhone, using it as a GPS to track her routes. Out of this simple documentation grew an obsession that she said inspired her to begin documenting more aspects of the training process.
Soon, she began photographing scenes from her routes as well as videotaping and recording herself running. She even began collecting her sweat on tissue paper, ultimately scanning and enlarging the papers to create oversized, white, intricately-patterned images. It was this obsessive documentation, Desormeaux said, that inspired her to begin training for her second marathon.
"I had enough satisfaction with [half marathons], but I couldn't stop," she said. "I told myself that if I wanted to be an athlete and an artist, I needed to prove that I can do both. 'Make it a marathon,' [I said,] 'and get as much work out of it.'"
For the five months that she trained for her second marathon, Desormeaux continued to document the running process in the same painstaking way she had recorded her past runs.
"Initially, I didn't know how it would evolve. The videos are a bit jarring and jerky but they're very meditative and a reflection of why I run in the first place. And I loved figuring out that sweat could make an imprint and be blown up," she said.
Desormeaux's exhibit is best described as a multi-media exploration of the running process, featuring GPS maps, yarn-and-pin diagrams of her weekly running distances, audio and video of selected runs and the enlarged sweat imprints.
Now that Desormeaux has completed her second marathon, she has reinstated her plan to stick to smaller runs in the future. She still runs, averaging three to four runs a week when her schedule permits. According to Desormeaux, though the intense and grueling training process has temporarily ended, the documentation process is ongoing and ever-evolving.
ATHICA EMERGES III
Artists: Jennifer Desormeaux, Robert Peterson, Robyn Waserman, Layet Johnson and Charles WestfallWhen: Thursdays 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. until July 19
Where: Athica, 160 Tracy St.
Cost: Free
"I'm still really interested in mapping and in this obsession [with documenting the process]. I do like how this has become autobiographical. I do feel I'm not done in those elements," she said.
And though she may not have any immediate marathon plans, she hopes to attempt either a triathlon or an adventure run sometime in the future.
"Training? Yes. For what? I don't know."
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