Measure of Me, film still

Comment

Comment by Resident Curator on May 11, 2021 at 10:07am

Curator’s Comments:  

 

This diptych noted as a film still back in 2011 came up on the site today, but I can’t ascertain if the piece formally plays on the concept of an old educational film, or if it is in fact a still from an appropriated film or video. Looking as the piece as presented, I enjoy the juxtaposition of the achromatic scene on the left, which has the markings of a dated educational piece. The rather formal clinical setting with an adult appearing to administer a test to a child with the simple clock in the background is contained within a shadowed vignette. (It was once explained this light pattern was the likely natural result of a circular lens on a rectangular film plate, but it could be intentionally manipulated for effect.  I would appreciate you weighing in on this, if you’re reading.)  The right side, in color, is presented from a more intimate first-person perspective. I interpret the intriguing tension between the images as partially resulting from the viewer being placed in the position of being tested against a clock.  The haphazard tiles placed before us also counter the visual organization of the first photographic frame.  Entitled Measure of Me, this piece belongs to the folio Fluid Intelligence, of which I now see contains colorful works I’ve admired in the past. While diverging formally in color and format, Measure of Me continues the conceptual and aesthetic underpinning of games, order, and chance. I do hope you offer insights into your past process, and post new works on the site.