Witnessing and the Chest of Drawers (pdf)
by Alton Wasson
This article offers a way of thinking about our projections and perceptions as we witness another person moving. The list of drawers is infinite and serves as an invitation to remind us of the multiplicity of ourselves as witness and as mover and to broaden our awareness of our projections – the images, stories, memories and associations evoked by what we see and feel. Through this homey and accessible image I offer a way to both contain and expand our perceptions. Like the practice of authentic movement, the chest of drawers metaphor connects the studio and everyday life by pointing to the many levels of dimensions of what is always going on.
Wasson, Alton. “Chapter 7: Witnessing and the Chest of Drawers.” 2005. Authentic Movement: Moving the Body, Moving the Self, Being Moved. A Collection of Essay, Volume Two. Ed. Patrizia Pallaro. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2007. 69-72. Print.
Wasson, Alton. “Witnessing and the Chest of Drawers.” Contact Quarterly 27.2 (2002): 13-17. Print.