When we shared Line Describing a Cone with the students and staff at UOW, we were joined by Jess. She’s a former student of mine who often attends things in an “unofficial” capacity – and this ambiguous role – an insider-outsider – is something that contributes to her valuable insights. Jess’ observations are always welcome and generous, and she often sees things that those of us who are more “embedded insiders” will miss. True to form, soon after we presented the Cone, Jess emailed through this deeply felt and finely described account of her experience. She kindly said she would be happy for us to publish it here. – Lucas
Hello Lucas,
Immediately after experiencing the re-performance of Line Describing a Cone I wrote my reflections…
Then I drove home and got caught up in the millions of things that needed doing. I have just completed the survey (luckily it was still open!) but also wanted to share my deeper reflections with you & Louise too.
I am so grateful you invited me! It has inspired many ideas!
May the work love on through your and Louise’s dedication and generosity
– Jess
Reflections on the re-performance of Anthony McCall’s Line Describing a Cone (1973), by Lucas and Louise, UOW 2025. By Jessica Millman
AFTER:
I want to sit in a place where I can hear foreign voices, lorikeets in the trees and running water. I want to feel every moment of my heart full of wonder, quietly, softly, without interruption. I want the experience to last as long as possible, then gently fade, organically, without interruption.
BEFORE:
What a blessing to arrive on campus on Dharawal land! This place holds so many deeply positive experiences for me. Formative and fulfilling. This is the place I felt honoured to step into my Self. For an hour I contemplated new growth on trees, photographed flowers and seeds. Capturing gratitude. Moving without haste.
BEGINNING:
When the lights went out and we adjusted to the darkness I felt an overwhelming urge to lie on the floor. I wanted to stretch and ensure I was fully in my body, in this space now. I relished the joy of surrendering into immersion. I took off my shoes.
Everyone sat politely, watching a dot almost imperceptibly stretch into a bright line on the wall. Heads turn back towards the projector, ‘is it working?’ you can hear them thinking. The desire to interrupt the stripe of light that emerges in the smoke is palpable…but we mustn’t.
After some time I see – or sense? – a tall figure moving across the room.
A hand reaches into the light and wiggles its fingers. Everyone giggles.
The solemnity is disturbed.
With a wordless agreement, hands from either side of the emerging cone enter the light and simultaneously spark up a game of ‘paper, scissors, rock’. It’s so absurd I laugh out loud.
I slowly reach out my hand under the smokey light. I feel sure I could hold it if I keep my fingers out of the light. I CAN feel the smoke, the energy, the expectation – it has a weight in my hand, I’m sure of it! I want to embrace the shape, but I cannot reach the top.
Inside the cone of light the smoke danced and snaked about. The scent was strong as sight was minimal and other senses sharpened. I could taste it. I pretended to bite the cone, like a dog might. Delicious!
Momentarily the summer fruit scent of women’s perfume complemented the haze.
Suddenly everyone is in this cave of light, sticking their heads into the line, a foot reaches up from the ground, people walk through, slide under the long, tunnel projected into the smoke.
A young woman stands near the end of the cone with her arms up.
“We need more arms!” she calls out and four of us jump in with her, replicating Da Vinci’s ‘Vitruvian Man’. I move my arms in a serpentine manner and all the other arms respond in kind. I wondered what else we could come up with, but the line has almost finished describing…
As the circle grew towards a close the suspense was heightened.
“Inexorable”
I heard somebody say. What a full and wonderful word! Profound, as curated by this seemingly simple design coming to life in this otherwise darkened room.
WHEN IT ENDS
When it finally ended, as we knew it must, we wished it hadn’t. The projector is switched off and far too suddenly all the lights are switched on. The room fills with screaming, searing light and the spell is broken. I wanted to close the meditation formally so quickly rushed through the process in my mind, rushing the stage of stepping out of vulnerability, back into the excoriating light.
I wondered what our pupils looked like. Tens of black blinking eyes, scorched and teary.
The experience had felt like meditation without rules. Safe and explorative, participatory. Gentle, emerging, free.
I wanted to do it again, but for much, much longer! I was inspired and grateful. Being momentarily in communion with strangers felt like such a gift.
OUTSIDE:
I watched the dragonflies dance over the water – elements merging.
Eventually I feel the uplift fading. The body returns to its inevitable needs. I feel hungry.
The experience of expansion stayed with me long afterwards.
Line Describing a Cone, uniting a room full of humans.
Moving. Uplifting. Transformational.
– Jessica Millman, 2025