Eric Mullis - Böcker

Instruments of Embodiment draws on fashion theory and the philosophy of embodiment to investigate costuming in contemporary dance. It weaves together philosophical theory and artistic practice by closely analyzing acclaimed works by contemporary choreographers, considering interviews with costume designers, and engaging in practice-as-research. Topics discussed include the historical evolution of contemporary dance costuming, Merce Cunningham’s innovative collaborations with Robert Rauschenberg, and costumes used in Ohad Naharin’s Virus (2001) and in a ground-breaking Butoh solo by Tatsumi Hijikata. The relationship between dance costuming and high fashion, wearable computing, and the role costume plays in dance reconstruction are also discussed and, along the way, an anarchist materialism is articulated which takes an egalitarian view of artistic collaboration and holds that experimental costume designs facilitate new forms of embodied experience and ways of seeing the body. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars working in performance philosophy, philosophy of embodiment, dance and performance studies, and fashion theory.

Instruments of Embodiment draws on fashion theory and the philosophy of embodiment to investigate costuming in contemporary dance. It weaves together philosophical theory and artistic practice by closely analyzing acclaimed works by contemporary choreographers, considering interviews with costume designers, and engaging in practice-as-research. Topics discussed include the historical evolution of contemporary dance costuming, Merce Cunningham’s innovative collaborations with Robert Rauschenberg, and costumes used in Ohad Naharin’s Virus (2001) and in a ground-breaking Butoh solo by Tatsumi Hijikata. The relationship between dance costuming and high fashion, wearable computing, and the role costume plays in dance reconstruction are also discussed and, along the way, an anarchist materialism is articulated which takes an egalitarian view of artistic collaboration and holds that experimental costume designs facilitate new forms of embodied experience and ways of seeing the body. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars working in performance philosophy, philosophy of embodiment, dance and performance studies, and fashion theory.

Robot Theaters explore the fascinating theatrical nature of robots and their unique capacity to illuminate human performativity through their own machinic performances.This groundbreaking anthology challenges conventional scientific and commercial approaches to robotics by positioning theater and dance methodologies as essential frameworks for understanding our increasingly automated world. The collection traverses diverse territories—from the historical contexts of performing robots in social and staged settings to the industrial and military applications of robotics technology. Contributors examine the creative possibilities emerging at the intersection of choreography and robotic performance, revealing unexpected spaces for play, joy, and artistic collaboration. The book weaves together scholarly perspectives with insights from practicing artists through illuminating interviews with prominent figures in the field: Thomas DeFrantz discusses the racial dimensions of robot performance, Sydney Skybetter reflects on choreorobotic practice within university research environments, and Taiwanese choreographer-roboticist Huang Yi shares his pioneering creative methodologies. By bringing together these interdisciplinary conversations spanning choreography, critical race studies, feminist media studies, research-creation methods, and biopolitics, the anthology offers a rich tapestry of perspectives on the robot as performer.This innovative collection will appeal to scholars and practitioners in performance studies, robotics, media arts, and cultural studies, as well as anyone interested in the evolving relationship between technology and creative expression.

Research for this work is interdisciplinary as it draws on studio practice, ethnographic field work, cultural history, Pentecostal history and theology, folk aesthetics, anthropological understandings of ecstatic religious rituals, and dance history regarding acclaimed works that have sought to present aspects of religious ecstasy on stage;