Samm Kumar on LUCIFER'S LADDER

What was your inspiration for this piece?
I didn’t begin this class with a specific idea in mind. Rather, I came in with ideas that I wanted to explore, which included gender bending and the sexual exploitation of women. However, I didn’t develop the genetic code for a cohesive piece until I was hit with a very unexpected source of inspiration. I’m almost embarrassed to admit to my story’s pop culture roots. Oddly enough, Shakira’s ”She-Wolf” got me thinking about the similarities between the roles of women and wolves in mythology. It occurred to me that both are portrayed as either malevolent or benevolent depending on the story. I incorporated this notion into a plotline I was working on, involving Lucifer and his plight in heaven.

What was your process?
As my story began to take shape in my mind, I quickly became overwhelmed by the amount of ideas I was working with simultaneously. I was fostering a plot that explored women’s journey with power and sex, following the stories of Cleopatra, Elizabeth I, Billie Holiday and Marilyn Monroe. For the purposes of time (and my own sanity), I needed to narrow the scope of my focus. I created a collage to visually map out my ideas before I began writing. After I had written out a cohesive version of my piece, I began to work with it three-dimensionally. I set it in the space incorporating props in physical gesture into the composition. Sometimes the text shifted to accommodate the movement, but the change was always welcome.

Which artist most influenced your work?
When I first saw Daniel’s list of potential mentors, my eyes were immediately drawn to one name: Sarah Jones. I was first introduced to her work through Facebook; a friend of mine had posted her TED talk on my wall. I was floored by the versatility, the depth and precision of her performance. Her ability to bounce effortlessly from character to character is reminiscent of the work of Anna Deaveare Smith. I observed Jones’ structure and composition very closely. (Part of my larger project includes fluid transitions between distinct and highly developed characters.) I’ve tried to incorporate some of her work into my own, and look forward to learning more from her as this piece progresses.