Untitled

Daniel Crooks

Company: Anna Schwartz Gallery
Year the project commenced:2019 
Year it became impossible:2020 
Audience not reached:Unknown​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
In 2015, choreographer Nat Cursio and artist Daniel Crooks created a video work ‘At Least for a While Anyway’ with performer Don Asker. Asker is a choreographer and academic but had recently moved to become a sustainable cattle farmer re-conserving a stretch of land in Eden, on the south coast of New South Wales. In early 2020 Asker’s property and much of the surrounding area was badly affected by horrific bushfires. In response, Cursio and Crooks decided to create a companion work to their 2015 project, documenting Don and the devastating impact on the environment and communities around Eden. As they were preparing for the shoot, Covid-19 took hold. The first cases of community transmission were reported just as they were finalising the shooting schedule, and the first travel restrictions were introduced the week they planned to begin shooting. Asker is in his early 70s and so categorised in the high risk group - and so the decision was made to postpone shooting.
In the weeks following the declaration of the pandemic, lockdowns were put in place throughout Australia. Festivals everywhere began to cancel or postpone their programs, including the Tarrawarra Biennale where this work was to be premiered. This ongoing postponement of the work began to spell its demise as the charred landscape around Eden that was to be Crooks' backdrop began to revegetate. That sprouting of fresh green shoots is, of course, fantastic for the environment, but made the work impossible.
Choreographer - Natalie Cursio 
Performer - Don Asker
Images courtesy of the artists and Anna Schwartz Gallery
At Least for a While Anyway, 2015 - installation shot at Carriageworks, Sydney.
  



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