credit: Angela Conway

The Music Videos of Angela Conway

Conference presentation

Light Moves Symposium in Limerick, Ireland. 19 November 2015.

Description

This paper introduces the work of Angela Conway, who has directed more than 80 videos since 1986. Despite popular productions for Nick Cave, Bryan Ferry, and The Smashing Pumpkins, she remains obscure. Two rare video works, both choreographed by Conway and released as her musical namesake “A.C. Marias”, were screened.

“One of Our Girls Has Gone Missing” (1989) features dancer Julie Hood in a feminist narrative. Hood was a founding member of Michael Clark’s transgressive company, known for their use of pop music from The Fall, Wire, Laibach, Public Image Limited, and others. This music video can be seen as an extension of this transmedial practice.

“Just Talk” (1988) documents a public dance intervention by Conway herself. This radical choreographic gesture provides a useful reminder that the music video form deserves full consideration in the developing history of screendance.