I have been involved in the arts as a collector/artist and model since I was five. For me Art of all sorts is a passion, one to be embraced and enjoyed.
I was Co-Founder and Director of Katz and Dawgs the Gallery from 1986-1990. It was an experimental art gallery. And we mounted thirty-six shows in 4 years and were voted the “Best Gallery in Columbus” by Columbus Alive newspaper three years in a row. But that was a hobby.
I started doing “Performance Art” in 1985 at Ohio State University. I was encouraged by EF Hebner to take classes in expanded arts. And I was introduced to Butoh in 1986 by Bonnie Sue Stein of the Asia society. She introduced me to Eiko & Koma , Maureen Fleming, Sanki Juku, and DairaKudakan. I did workshops with Eiko & Koma, and Maureen Fleming. And in 1991 I was invited to study Butoh with Min Tanaka, at his farm in Japan. It was truly a life changing experience. Very physically demanding and mentally challenging. Since then I have performed around the United states at Colleges , Universities, Museums, Arts Councils, Art Galleries and once even a wedding. My work is more or less an internalization of life’s conditions. I have hung from ceilings and been buried in graves. Other than my marriage, and family. Butoh has been a passion that continues to challenge and excite me.
–Ralph Rosenfield