#Chromatherapy

#Chromatherapy, a Site- and Social-Specific Performance by Rea McNamara and Danielle Meder took place as part of Nuit Blanche 2013.  Location: Proper Reserve, 498 Queen St. W.

#Chromatherapy promises to interpret your colour and style personality via an immersive, vibrant journey through the colour wheel. Co-led by licensed chromatherapists @reeraw and @finalfashion, this live media spectacle invites participants to be a part of a late-night #snbTO street level infomercial. Join us to get feel-good advice on how to dress in harmony with the way you live and the person you truly are. Through the transformative powers of silken chakra chroma draping techniques and fashion illustration futurisms, this talk-show-meets-hawk-show will delve deep into the style sub-consciousness of Toronto, uncovering life-changing revelations, one outfit at a time.

The colour spectrum was our inspiration, and utility was the goal for the creation of this environment. We used mylar to create a front rainbow window with stripes of colour that implied a television test pattern. We re-purposed lighting fixtures (designed and made for Alias dance company’s Shifting Edges production) by inverting them onto new bases and locking the lights to the individual colours of the spectrum that filled the space with crystalline rainbow lighting.  Chrome-and-vinyl stools and a drawing desk were refurbished for the creators/performers to use, and rigid double-faced collars hung behind them as props to assist with the stylistic transformations of participants.

The chromatherapists did a fantastic job creating virtual outfits for audience members. Danielle live-drew as Rea interviewed and conversed with participants; drawings were projected on the wall opposite to the rainbow crystal lights. They performed all night long (cue Lionel Richie) – a feat in itself.