"Heat Dance (Rooftop 1)" is the first edition from Benton C Bainbridge's series of video paintings observing hot bodies in motion. Bainbridge shot Kate Griffler's rooftop choreography with a thermal camera in Hell's Kitchen, NYC, and then reworked the video with optical and digital FX in his studio in the Bronx.

Thermographic technology sees only differences in temperature. A transitory heat perimeter blurs the boundaries between dancer and space; slowly fading hot spots mark the impact of warm bodies on cool surfaces. Optical and digital post-processing further dematerialize Griffler's dance. By observing the heat of bodies in motion, the series offers a primal glimpse into the original visual music: dance.

"Heat Dance (Rooftop 1)" was first shown at the MoMA PS1 Printshop for the ALLGOLD "Commencement" exhibition in 2015.

Benton C Bainbridge: video | Kate Griffler: dance

Thanks to Raymond Strano for the thermal camera.