Fred Astaire Beat Time, 2007
From Needle in a Haystack, The Gay Divorcee 1934
69 drawings, graphite on paper, dvd projection
Fred Astaire beat time. He beat time with his feet and hands; with canes, umbrellas and hat-stands; on pianos, tables,
stairs,
floors and ceilings. Twenty-four years after his death on 22 June 1987 he continues to live on in film.
Though he once said that 'reminiscing is for the birds', I wanted to pay homage to Mr Astaire by drawing him dancing to Needle in a Haystack from the 1934 film The Gay Divorcee. This blithe, lithe, little ditty is a tapping, spinning, arm-waving gem and my drawn animation of the dance will go on show in Berlin's 129 Gallery from the 30th September 2011 as part of a new exhibition called Sichtbarkeit. Find the gallery at Emser Straße 129, Berlin or see the animation here
