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Lunar Rabbit, 2011

Joan Jonas, a pioneer of video and performance art, as well as one of the most important female artists to emerge in the late 1960s and early 1970s, often uses her work to examine folklore, representation, and the real versus the imaginary. For this projects, students from the Clinton School for Writers and Artists worked with Jonas to explore the myth of a selfless rabbit who is rewarded by having his image eternally imprinted on the moon. Jonas previously studied in Japan to explore their version of the same myth and created a book of images and photographs during her stay there.

The students and Jonas explored the myth's symbolism and themes in the Aztec tradition through discussion, drawing, papier-mâché, and ultimately the creation of a sculpture and video work of art. Together, they created costumes in Japanese paper, crafted papier-mache’ masks, and constructed a variety of props to be used for the performance. Finally, the students enacted the tale of the self-less rabbit in a wooded area along the Hudson River.

The performance will become part of a sculptural installation, which will consist of mirrored glass and metal curved screens. The final project will be exhibited in the windows of a fashion retail store. With this project, Jonas and the children explore the significance of symbols and myths across cultures, creating common ground and understanding throughout different peoples.