Railroad Stories is the result of Rynders's seven-week creative residency at the artist community, during which she collaborated with teens from the Joan Farley Academy.
While Rynders's work is deeply rooted in her mastery of interpretive dance, Railroad Stories utilizes the sights and sounds of the train tracks found just outside the window of the workspace.
"I had an idea of what I wanted to do, but it changed a lot when I got there," Rynders says of the train's central role in the video installation.
railroad stories iii from Tara Rynders on Vimeo.
In addition to her personal work during the residency, Rynders worked side by side with seven teenage students to help them create their own video pieces.
Rynders says that since the group was shown her work prior to the project, there was a lot of expectation:
"I think we spent the first five weeks just getting to know each other," Rynders says of her collaborations with the students. Tonight's opening reception will showcase all of their joint works, plus Rynders's own five-part series and some live performances by the Joan Farley students.
Earlier this year, Rynders presented You & Me, a weekend-long performance during which she invited viewers into her home to participate in a series of live, one-on-one unrehearsed pieces incorporating movement, music and video.
Railroad Stories feels aesthetically similar, but speaks more to Rynders's specific interaction with her surroundings.
Railroad Stories opens at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at PlatteForum, 1610 Little Raven Street, Suite 135. The exhibition runs through October 28 and is free and open to the public.
For hours and additional information on programs, visit www.platteforum.org.
