Leonardo

Reflections behind the Mirror: Copier Art as MetaphorAuthor(s): Sarah JacksonSource: Leonardo, Vol. 28, No. 4 (1995), pp. 245-246Published by: The MIT PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1576182 .

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black-and-white footage shot inside the Canterbury Coal mine and still photo- graphs of the wash house. The film se- quences focus on a shift change, with miners entering and disappearing into the mine. The continuous loop runs through a steel conveyor (1 x 5 x 28 ft) and is projected onto a free-standing frame of glass. A second afterimage hov- ers on the wall behind the first screen.

WHAT DID JACKIE SAY?

Joseph Wilson, 319 A Street, Boston, MA 02210, U.S.A. E-mail: <jwilson@world.std.com>.

black-and-white footage shot inside the Canterbury Coal mine and still photo- graphs of the wash house. The film se- quences focus on a shift change, with miners entering and disappearing into the mine. The continuous loop runs through a steel conveyor (1 x 5 x 28 ft) and is projected onto a free-standing frame of glass. A second afterimage hov- ers on the wall behind the first screen.

WHAT DID JACKIE SAY?

Joseph Wilson, 319 A Street, Boston, MA 02210, U.S.A. E-mail: <jwilson@world.std.com>.

black-and-white footage shot inside the Canterbury Coal mine and still photo- graphs of the wash house. The film se- quences focus on a shift change, with miners entering and disappearing into the mine. The continuous loop runs through a steel conveyor (1 x 5 x 28 ft) and is projected onto a free-standing frame of glass. A second afterimage hov- ers on the wall behind the first screen.

WHAT DID JACKIE SAY?

Joseph Wilson, 319 A Street, Boston, MA 02210, U.S.A. E-mail: <jwilson@world.std.com>.

Fig. 3. Joseph Wil- son, detail from the installation What didJackie Say? show- ing the many moni- tors that were controlled by mo- tion detectors. The piece is shown here as it was installed at Mobius in Boston in 1991.

Fig. 3. Joseph Wil- son, detail from the installation What didJackie Say? show- ing the many moni- tors that were controlled by mo- tion detectors. The piece is shown here as it was installed at Mobius in Boston in 1991.

Fig. 3. Joseph Wil- son, detail from the installation What didJackie Say? show- ing the many moni- tors that were controlled by mo- tion detectors. The piece is shown here as it was installed at Mobius in Boston in 1991.

What DidJackie Say ? is an installation that explores the motivation that causedJohn Kennedy,Jr., to salute the casket at his father's funeral in 1963. The inspiration for this installation came from a conversation I had with one of the journalists who covered the Kennedys before, during and after the assassination. The image ofJohn,Jr., sa- luting came up during this conversa- tion. The image remained in my memory as American iconography rep- resentative of that time. The journalist doubted that the 3-year-old could com- prehend such an action or be moti- vated to do it on his own.

The more I thought about the salute, the more I questioned its intent. In the footage of the saluting child, it is obvi- ous thatJackie indeed directed him to do it. What was her motivation in doing this? DidJohn,Jr., understand the situ- ation at hand? For whom was the salute intended? Outside of the public arena, would the same motivation exist? What didJackie say?

The large-scale installation was first shown at Mobius in Boston, Massachu- setts. Throughout the piece I repeat the image of the salute in various forms and media while exaggerating the ges- ture to be questioned by the viewer. The main structure of the installation is a hallway measuring 27 x 8 x 8 ft con- structed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe and aluminum joints. There is also a 10-ft square "living room" attached to the left side of the main hallway fabri- cated from the same materials.

The entire structure is covered with cotton muslin stretched over the pipe and held in place with Velcro. Eight large, black silhouettes of the saluting image ofJohn,Jr., line both sides of the hallway. Halfway down the left side of the hallway is a glass window frame suspended from the ceiling. The living

What DidJackie Say ? is an installation that explores the motivation that causedJohn Kennedy,Jr., to salute the casket at his father's funeral in 1963. The inspiration for this installation came from a conversation I had with one of the journalists who covered the Kennedys before, during and after the assassination. The image ofJohn,Jr., sa- luting came up during this conversa- tion. The image remained in my memory as American iconography rep- resentative of that time. The journalist doubted that the 3-year-old could com- prehend such an action or be moti- vated to do it on his own.

The more I thought about the salute, the more I questioned its intent. In the footage of the saluting child, it is obvi- ous thatJackie indeed directed him to do it. What was her motivation in doing this? DidJohn,Jr., understand the situ- ation at hand? For whom was the salute intended? Outside of the public arena, would the same motivation exist? What didJackie say?

The large-scale installation was first shown at Mobius in Boston, Massachu- setts. Throughout the piece I repeat the image of the salute in various forms and media while exaggerating the ges- ture to be questioned by the viewer. The main structure of the installation is a hallway measuring 27 x 8 x 8 ft con- structed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe and aluminum joints. There is also a 10-ft square "living room" attached to the left side of the main hallway fabri- cated from the same materials.

The entire structure is covered with cotton muslin stretched over the pipe and held in place with Velcro. Eight large, black silhouettes of the saluting image ofJohn,Jr., line both sides of the hallway. Halfway down the left side of the hallway is a glass window frame suspended from the ceiling. The living

What DidJackie Say ? is an installation that explores the motivation that causedJohn Kennedy,Jr., to salute the casket at his father's funeral in 1963. The inspiration for this installation came from a conversation I had with one of the journalists who covered the Kennedys before, during and after the assassination. The image ofJohn,Jr., sa- luting came up during this conversa- tion. The image remained in my memory as American iconography rep- resentative of that time. The journalist doubted that the 3-year-old could com- prehend such an action or be moti- vated to do it on his own.

The more I thought about the salute, the more I questioned its intent. In the footage of the saluting child, it is obvi- ous thatJackie indeed directed him to do it. What was her motivation in doing this? DidJohn,Jr., understand the situ- ation at hand? For whom was the salute intended? Outside of the public arena, would the same motivation exist? What didJackie say?

The large-scale installation was first shown at Mobius in Boston, Massachu- setts. Throughout the piece I repeat the image of the salute in various forms and media while exaggerating the ges- ture to be questioned by the viewer. The main structure of the installation is a hallway measuring 27 x 8 x 8 ft con- structed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe and aluminum joints. There is also a 10-ft square "living room" attached to the left side of the main hallway fabri- cated from the same materials.

The entire structure is covered with cotton muslin stretched over the pipe and held in place with Velcro. Eight large, black silhouettes of the saluting image ofJohn,Jr., line both sides of the hallway. Halfway down the left side of the hallway is a glass window frame suspended from the ceiling. The living

room can be viewed only through this window. At the end of the hallway are 20 black-and-white and color televi- sions piled on both sides of another structure suspending two smaller tele- visions (Fig. 3).

As the viewer enters the hallway, a motion detector triggers the play of a sound environment comprised of news reports of the assassination mixed with the sound of a mother's heartbeat re- corded through a womb. Details of photographs from the "Camelot" era project along the right wall. Eyes, ears and hands follow each other-stripped of their origins.

Through the glass window located in the middle of the left wall is seen a liv- ing-room setting, vintage 1963-chair, end tables, and a television with artifacts from this era. I felt that an accurate rep- resentation of the setting where most

people experienced the funeral was an important element in the piece. A televi- sion, the only light source in the room, illuminates newspaper headlines of the assassination lying on the coffee table. Hanging from the ceiling are 100 8-in silhouettes ofJohn, Jr., saluting an image made of black metal screen. They are suspended at different heights and scat- tered throughout the room. The screens resemble static emanating from the tele- vision and floating in the air-intermit- tently emulating the saluting image.

As viewers reach the end of the hall- way, their motion triggers the stacks of televisions. I felt that the televisions re- maining idle until the viewer reached this point accentuated other parts of the installation. I used televisions that were manufactured in the late 1950s up to the present in order to depict the generations to follow that would experi- ence the event through television.

In the middle of the piles of televi- sions is a structure consisting of a 4-x-2-

room can be viewed only through this window. At the end of the hallway are 20 black-and-white and color televi- sions piled on both sides of another structure suspending two smaller tele- visions (Fig. 3).

As the viewer enters the hallway, a motion detector triggers the play of a sound environment comprised of news reports of the assassination mixed with the sound of a mother's heartbeat re- corded through a womb. Details of photographs from the "Camelot" era project along the right wall. Eyes, ears and hands follow each other-stripped of their origins.

Through the glass window located in the middle of the left wall is seen a liv- ing-room setting, vintage 1963-chair, end tables, and a television with artifacts from this era. I felt that an accurate rep- resentation of the setting where most

people experienced the funeral was an important element in the piece. A televi- sion, the only light source in the room, illuminates newspaper headlines of the assassination lying on the coffee table. Hanging from the ceiling are 100 8-in silhouettes ofJohn, Jr., saluting an image made of black metal screen. They are suspended at different heights and scat- tered throughout the room. The screens resemble static emanating from the tele- vision and floating in the air-intermit- tently emulating the saluting image.

As viewers reach the end of the hall- way, their motion triggers the stacks of televisions. I felt that the televisions re- maining idle until the viewer reached this point accentuated other parts of the installation. I used televisions that were manufactured in the late 1950s up to the present in order to depict the generations to follow that would experi- ence the event through television.

In the middle of the piles of televi- sions is a structure consisting of a 4-x-2-

room can be viewed only through this window. At the end of the hallway are 20 black-and-white and color televi- sions piled on both sides of another structure suspending two smaller tele- visions (Fig. 3).

As the viewer enters the hallway, a motion detector triggers the play of a sound environment comprised of news reports of the assassination mixed with the sound of a mother's heartbeat re- corded through a womb. Details of photographs from the "Camelot" era project along the right wall. Eyes, ears and hands follow each other-stripped of their origins.

Through the glass window located in the middle of the left wall is seen a liv- ing-room setting, vintage 1963-chair, end tables, and a television with artifacts from this era. I felt that an accurate rep- resentation of the setting where most

people experienced the funeral was an important element in the piece. A televi- sion, the only light source in the room, illuminates newspaper headlines of the assassination lying on the coffee table. Hanging from the ceiling are 100 8-in silhouettes ofJohn, Jr., saluting an image made of black metal screen. They are suspended at different heights and scat- tered throughout the room. The screens resemble static emanating from the tele- vision and floating in the air-intermit- tently emulating the saluting image.

As viewers reach the end of the hall- way, their motion triggers the stacks of televisions. I felt that the televisions re- maining idle until the viewer reached this point accentuated other parts of the installation. I used televisions that were manufactured in the late 1950s up to the present in order to depict the generations to follow that would experi- ence the event through television.

In the middle of the piles of televi- sions is a structure consisting of a 4-x-2-

ft base skirted in white, pleated fabric. Ascending from the base are 17 white columns that arch at opposing 60? angles and support two small televi- sions. Twenty-five pairs of glass eyes par- tially buried in sand cover the entire surface of the base. Two large line drawings of the saluting child hang on the wall behind the columns.

One videotape plays simultaneously on all the televisions and on the televi- sion in the living room. The video con- sists of the 6 seconds of the footage of John,Jr., saluting, which was fed through a computer for effects and ani- mation. Robert Mitchell of PushPlay video graphics collaborated in the cre- ation of the 20-min video and provided production facilities.

When exiting the piece, viewers are confronted by a large, white silhouette of the saluting image that has a small monitor embedded in it playing the video. A quote byJohn Kennedy is writ- ten on the silhouette and reads, "In serving his vision of truth the artist best serves his nation."

REFLECTIONS BEHIND THE MIRROR: COPIER ART AS METAPHOR

Sarah Jackson, 1411 Edward Street, Halifax, B3H 3H5 Canada. E-mail: <jacksona@tuns.ca>.

With the appearance of digital color copiers, artists are developing a unique language quite distinct from those pos- sible with other printing techniques. Copier artists concentrate on the "hard copy" as being integrated into the total- ity of their personal expression by con- trolling symbolism, colors, scale, tex- tures and papers.

It is the immediate physical involve- ment of creating with this medium that

ft base skirted in white, pleated fabric. Ascending from the base are 17 white columns that arch at opposing 60? angles and support two small televi- sions. Twenty-five pairs of glass eyes par- tially buried in sand cover the entire surface of the base. Two large line drawings of the saluting child hang on the wall behind the columns.

One videotape plays simultaneously on all the televisions and on the televi- sion in the living room. The video con- sists of the 6 seconds of the footage of John,Jr., saluting, which was fed through a computer for effects and ani- mation. Robert Mitchell of PushPlay video graphics collaborated in the cre- ation of the 20-min video and provided production facilities.

When exiting the piece, viewers are confronted by a large, white silhouette of the saluting image that has a small monitor embedded in it playing the video. A quote byJohn Kennedy is writ- ten on the silhouette and reads, "In serving his vision of truth the artist best serves his nation."

REFLECTIONS BEHIND THE MIRROR: COPIER ART AS METAPHOR

Sarah Jackson, 1411 Edward Street, Halifax, B3H 3H5 Canada. E-mail: <jacksona@tuns.ca>.

With the appearance of digital color copiers, artists are developing a unique language quite distinct from those pos- sible with other printing techniques. Copier artists concentrate on the "hard copy" as being integrated into the total- ity of their personal expression by con- trolling symbolism, colors, scale, tex- tures and papers.

It is the immediate physical involve- ment of creating with this medium that

ft base skirted in white, pleated fabric. Ascending from the base are 17 white columns that arch at opposing 60? angles and support two small televi- sions. Twenty-five pairs of glass eyes par- tially buried in sand cover the entire surface of the base. Two large line drawings of the saluting child hang on the wall behind the columns.

One videotape plays simultaneously on all the televisions and on the televi- sion in the living room. The video con- sists of the 6 seconds of the footage of John,Jr., saluting, which was fed through a computer for effects and ani- mation. Robert Mitchell of PushPlay video graphics collaborated in the cre- ation of the 20-min video and provided production facilities.

When exiting the piece, viewers are confronted by a large, white silhouette of the saluting image that has a small monitor embedded in it playing the video. A quote byJohn Kennedy is writ- ten on the silhouette and reads, "In serving his vision of truth the artist best serves his nation."

REFLECTIONS BEHIND THE MIRROR: COPIER ART AS METAPHOR

Sarah Jackson, 1411 Edward Street, Halifax, B3H 3H5 Canada. E-mail: <jacksona@tuns.ca>.

With the appearance of digital color copiers, artists are developing a unique language quite distinct from those pos- sible with other printing techniques. Copier artists concentrate on the "hard copy" as being integrated into the total- ity of their personal expression by con- trolling symbolism, colors, scale, tex- tures and papers.

It is the immediate physical involve- ment of creating with this medium that

Words on Works 245 Words on Works 245 Words on Works 245

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obsesses me. From the intimacy of small formats to enlarged murals-using pixel-built color tones, transformations of forms and tonalities, shifts of revela- tions, deconstructing images and model-

ling the color process within a spatial continuum-I invent and discover.

My work evolves through two stages. First, I create an "original," whether

singly or in series, on the Sharp CX5000 digital color copier. At the sec- ond stage, I develop scale, color and details with a Xerox 5775. To me, this

process is comparable to bronze casting from a maquette.

In 1993, using the Sharp copier, I be-

gan exploring ways of controlling color washes, mixes and contours. I evolved several series of Spacescapes. Each series has its own momentum (through tones, tempi and moods often related to musi- cal compositions) and consists of 3 to 20 related prints. In these works, colors became like reflections of sun's light in the atmosphere.

The ensuing series, Victims, was my way of coping with mass murders in Rwanda. Preoccupied with their suffer-

ing, I completed 11 prints that follow a

spatially suspended kneeling woman and cowering man by focusing on their faces, shoulders and hands as clusters of transforming, digital colors.

I am so intensely involved with mod-

elling colors that it is a shock seeing the work I select for publication bleached into black-and-white shades-all life and warmth gone cold. Yet for years I worked with wax, plaster, bronze sculp- ture and black-and-white ink drawings, bound by disciplines of tonality.

This year, I am populating the

Spacescapes with modelled colored

"sculptures" placed directly on the glass platen. Furthering the metaphor, spaces of ocean, sky and caves indicate a grav- ity-free scape where images interact with each other and us. From being personal to generic, meaning is multileveled, not linear; it is hermeneutic with layered meanings. Therefore, interpretation and understanding unfolds as part of the process of creativity.

SANGRE BOLIVIANA

Lucia Grossberger-Morales, 3007 Gera Dr., Santa Cruz, CA 95062, U.S.A.

Sangre Boliviana is an "art disk" contain-

ing nine interactive, multimedia com-

obsesses me. From the intimacy of small formats to enlarged murals-using pixel-built color tones, transformations of forms and tonalities, shifts of revela- tions, deconstructing images and model-

ling the color process within a spatial continuum-I invent and discover.

My work evolves through two stages. First, I create an "original," whether

singly or in series, on the Sharp CX5000 digital color copier. At the sec- ond stage, I develop scale, color and details with a Xerox 5775. To me, this

process is comparable to bronze casting from a maquette.

In 1993, using the Sharp copier, I be-

gan exploring ways of controlling color washes, mixes and contours. I evolved several series of Spacescapes. Each series has its own momentum (through tones, tempi and moods often related to musi- cal compositions) and consists of 3 to 20 related prints. In these works, colors became like reflections of sun's light in the atmosphere.

The ensuing series, Victims, was my way of coping with mass murders in Rwanda. Preoccupied with their suffer-

ing, I completed 11 prints that follow a

spatially suspended kneeling woman and cowering man by focusing on their faces, shoulders and hands as clusters of transforming, digital colors.

I am so intensely involved with mod-

elling colors that it is a shock seeing the work I select for publication bleached into black-and-white shades-all life and warmth gone cold. Yet for years I worked with wax, plaster, bronze sculp- ture and black-and-white ink drawings, bound by disciplines of tonality.

This year, I am populating the

Spacescapes with modelled colored

"sculptures" placed directly on the glass platen. Furthering the metaphor, spaces of ocean, sky and caves indicate a grav- ity-free scape where images interact with each other and us. From being personal to generic, meaning is multileveled, not linear; it is hermeneutic with layered meanings. Therefore, interpretation and understanding unfolds as part of the process of creativity.

SANGRE BOLIVIANA

Lucia Grossberger-Morales, 3007 Gera Dr., Santa Cruz, CA 95062, U.S.A.

Sangre Boliviana is an "art disk" contain-

ing nine interactive, multimedia com-

work on a disk. The artwork is con- tained as bits of information on some sort of storage device, such as a floppy disk, an optical disk, a compact disk- read only memory (CD-ROM), or even on an on-line system. An art disk is ac-

tually not that different from a video-

tape, where the artwork is also stored as

magnetic media. What makes the com-

puter unique is that it is extremely fast at accessing and branching informa- tion. Therefore it has the potential of real-time interactivity.

I started this piece many years ago when I first returned to Bolivia, after

having emigrated to the United States at the age of 3. There were many last-

ing impressions from the trip: the com-

pelling barren beauty of the Altiplano, the tenacity of the indigenous people in maintaining their ways, the striking colors of the costumes of the indig- enous people, the attachment of the

people to the Pachamama (mother earth) and, unfortunately, the underly- ing racism towards the indigenous people. With each subsequent trip I felt a draw, a pull-as if the ancestors were

calling me, compelling me. Their lan-

guage was not an aural language. It was not something I could hear, rather it was the language of the heart.

In Sangre Boliviana, there are nine

pieces, plus an introduction. Each of the pieces tells a different story, but also is unique in how the software tech-

nology is used. In all cases I let the con-

work on a disk. The artwork is con- tained as bits of information on some sort of storage device, such as a floppy disk, an optical disk, a compact disk- read only memory (CD-ROM), or even on an on-line system. An art disk is ac-

tually not that different from a video-

tape, where the artwork is also stored as

magnetic media. What makes the com-

puter unique is that it is extremely fast at accessing and branching informa- tion. Therefore it has the potential of real-time interactivity.

I started this piece many years ago when I first returned to Bolivia, after

having emigrated to the United States at the age of 3. There were many last-

ing impressions from the trip: the com-

pelling barren beauty of the Altiplano, the tenacity of the indigenous people in maintaining their ways, the striking colors of the costumes of the indig- enous people, the attachment of the

people to the Pachamama (mother earth) and, unfortunately, the underly- ing racism towards the indigenous people. With each subsequent trip I felt a draw, a pull-as if the ancestors were

calling me, compelling me. Their lan-

guage was not an aural language. It was not something I could hear, rather it was the language of the heart.

In Sangre Boliviana, there are nine

pieces, plus an introduction. Each of the pieces tells a different story, but also is unique in how the software tech-

nology is used. In all cases I let the con-

tent of the story dictate the interactive

style. Multimedia can be a very power- ful medium for interactive story telling and allows the participant to explore information, particularly layered, multi- channel information in an engrossing, even playful, way.

An example of how I let the story dic- tate the interactive format is in the

story of Cholera 1992 (Fig. 4). In design- ing this piece, I was inspired by the horror that I felt at the existence of cholera in South America. When I was in Cochabamba, Bolivia, in February 1992, 500 people died of cholera-I could not believe it. I thought cholera had been eradicated. And of course it has been in First-World countries; but there it was in Cochabamba. The piece that grew out of that horror became in-

corporated into an arcade format. I felt that the only way I could address the

topic and express my horror was

through the use of black humor. Black humor has historically been used as a

way of psychologically dealing with hor- rific experience. For example, Dia de los Muertos was originally a way of cop- ing with the massive number of deaths in Mexico during the time of the con-

quistadors. Another example of using black humor as a way of coping with horror is the song "Ring Around the Rosies," which was popular during the time of the Black Plague when millions of people were dying of bubonic

plague. In Cholera 1992, the arcade for-

tent of the story dictate the interactive

style. Multimedia can be a very power- ful medium for interactive story telling and allows the participant to explore information, particularly layered, multi- channel information in an engrossing, even playful, way.

An example of how I let the story dic- tate the interactive format is in the

story of Cholera 1992 (Fig. 4). In design- ing this piece, I was inspired by the horror that I felt at the existence of cholera in South America. When I was in Cochabamba, Bolivia, in February 1992, 500 people died of cholera-I could not believe it. I thought cholera had been eradicated. And of course it has been in First-World countries; but there it was in Cochabamba. The piece that grew out of that horror became in-

corporated into an arcade format. I felt that the only way I could address the

topic and express my horror was

through the use of black humor. Black humor has historically been used as a

way of psychologically dealing with hor- rific experience. For example, Dia de los Muertos was originally a way of cop- ing with the massive number of deaths in Mexico during the time of the con-

quistadors. Another example of using black humor as a way of coping with horror is the song "Ring Around the Rosies," which was popular during the time of the Black Plague when millions of people were dying of bubonic

plague. In Cholera 1992, the arcade for-

Fig. 4. Lucia Grossberger-Morales, Cholera 1992, from the CD-ROM Sangre Boliviana, ex-

plores the relationship between dirty water and the outbreak of cholera in Chochabamba, Bolivia.

Fig. 4. Lucia Grossberger-Morales, Cholera 1992, from the CD-ROM Sangre Boliviana, ex-

plores the relationship between dirty water and the outbreak of cholera in Chochabamba, Bolivia.

puter pieces that explore my personal relationship with Bolivia, the country where I was born. An art disk is an art-

puter pieces that explore my personal relationship with Bolivia, the country where I was born. An art disk is an art-

246 Words on Works 246 Words on Works

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