There are artists who love the experience of structured levels. There are entertainers who revel in their performance. The performer that placates to the patron. And then…there are individuals who must release their artistic energy in whatever form it comes in or they will burst. Visual Artist Inksap and dancer Linda Lack liberate their art into the planet because it is in their being, their soul, their pores, and it must be discharged to live. In the film Ink & Linda, we find two passionate people that exist to free their virtuosity into the world. A symbiotic pair who found each other on the wild streets of Los Angeles, only to prove that age, art, and invention have no limits.
“Are you ready?” says Inksap. The movie begins as we watch two unlikely characters walk side by side on the dark sidewalk of Los Angeles. They then start to paste images on the wall of a structure, they are fast and serious, and at the end of their effort you see their satisfaction and a Linda smile. This opening moment is just a prelude to their story as the film maker director and cinematographer Stuart C. Paul, takes us on the journey of these individual’s unique and intense partnership.
We are first introduced to Linda Lack. Ms. Lack has a notable creative background such as studying with Merce Cunningham, dancing in the park with Twyla Tharp around 1969, to producing her own credible work in the early 2000’s. Now, in her 70’s, Ms. Lack has experienced the historic lineage of modern, new age, experimental and contemporary art forms. She exudes all these eras in her being as her persona jumps off the screen in her latest inventive endeavor with Inksap. Linda is no stranger to the unusual. In the show, we see original footage from her performances. Some scenes highlighting her embodiment of animals in the wilderness. An experimental form of movement in which her body reacts as the creature. The audience gets to witness her incredible athletic figure that defies the laws of gravity and nature. Linda has been a significant staple in the Los Angeles area with her studio on south La Cienega Boulevard providing movement classes and it is there that we get to see her in her element. She is an inspiration to our generation of imaginative thinkers and to a visionary street artist named Inksap.
Inksap is an attractive Vietnamese American male who fled with his family when he was a child to the United States to seek refuge. A self-motivated being who comes across as a compassionate spirit as he encompasses his past with his present to craft a profound future. In his 20’s, he represents our innovative arty youth of today. His painting and drawings are unique to his experiences and his visionary canvases contain an insightful perspective of space, movement, and time. It is fun to see the interaction between these two. The beauty of this film is seeing their collaboration, their art making and their age difference that bears no difference.
Writer and editor Heather Mathews does an excellent job of daily life sequencing and captivating the characters authenticity. Ms. Mathews story line is invigorating and there is an underlaying endangerment that is left unsaid but makes you think. Cinematographer and director Stuart C. Paul expertly captures the City of Angeles during the daytime as well as the shadowy nights. His placement of the camera allows the viewer to feel close to the subjects and creates intimate moments. The music by Many Hoffman is well thought out and reflects verbal instants and provides scene enhancement. This picture is a positive influence of encouragement in life, motivation, and freedom. A performance street graffiti experience that makes a distinctive statement for all of us to see, understand, learn, and enjoy.
You can view Ink & Linda and see the two artist demonstrate how they work March 5, 6, 11, 12, and 13, 2022 6:00 – 9:30 pm in Studio A inside Helms Design Center – 8745 Washington Blvd., Suite A, Culver City, CA. 90232. TICKETS: Free, but guests must reserve tickets HERE.
Ink & Linda will also have a screening on the opening night of Dance Camera West 2022 Festival on March 24, 2022 at 2220 Arts & Archives – formerly known as the Bootleg Theater – 2220 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057 at 7:00pm. For tickets and more information, please click HERE.
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More about the film and watch the trailer, HERE.
To see more of Inksap’s art work, please visit his website.
To learn more about Linda Lack, her art and her teaching, please visit her website.
Written by Alice Alyse for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Linda Lack and Inksap – Still from Ink & Linda – Director/Cinematographer: Stuart C. Paul