‘Desire is the presence of absence’

I recently had the pleasure of talking with Brian Nuckols on the Peace Now podcast, the episode Exploring Desire, Otherness, and Transformation through Dance can now be heard.

We begin by contemplating desire, drawing inspiration from Alexandre Kojève’s notion that ‘Desire is the presence of absence,’ and go on to explore the embodiment of otherness in dance, the encounter with the alien or Other in the body; and the transformative force of movement. We discuss ritual, revelation and sexuality, looking at my works Visitation and The Decollation of Flowers. In this extensive conversation, I speak about the ideas driving my practice, the need for artistic and spiritual freedom, and the ceaseless questioning that is bound into the experience of revelation in the body.

If you enjoy this conversation, please check out Brian’s work and subscribe to Peace Now.