An Interview with Eiko Otake

Abstract

Rosemary Candelario-You and Koma had already been working together for more than ten years when you made your first dance for camera in 1983, Tentacle, with Jeff Bush and Celia Ipiotis. What made you to turn to video at that time?Eiko Otake-We were approached by Celia and Jeff, who were working as a couple and were eager to develop dance for camera.1 You know, we are practical. They approached us with a vision for a piece, we listened, it was workable, we did it, and we learned something new and important from the process. Then in 1985, the Walker Art Center commissioned us to make Lament and paired us with James Byrne. We were still young at that time and tended to take what came our way. And media people, videographers and the media department of the Walker, were eager to work with us. We always respond to passion.