Have, Have Not (2011)
“I knew it was our teachers’ duty to crush us as much as possible; they demanded virtues of us which they themselves did not possess, the history they set before us was a hoax devised by grown-ups in order to belittle us and keep us in our places.”
Herman Hess; ‘History, 1918’, from If The War Goes On
Artist’s Statement
Cinematic recollections often connect with my own personal memories. This moment from It’s A Wonderful Life (directed by Frank Capra, 1946) had a specific significance. It conveys the idea of Innocence Lost, a notion I am exploring in the work.
My images are a combination of personal recollections and collective remembrances. They have been designed to merge visually and thematically with the film in this space. Their constructions are a reflection on youthful experiences, ideological control and social conditioning.
By projecting the clip on a relentless loop and coupling it with an audio track recorded from everyday noise, music and ambient sound, I want to de-centre the viewer by permeating the darkened space.
The light boxes, film loop and soundtrack have been put together in order to create a sense of confusion and alienation. This is a critical response to my views on the dichotomy between supposed moralities within social structures. Have, Have Not visualises my realisation of these divisions.
Have, Have Not; projected film loop and soundtrack (audio copyright Tam Hare).
Exhibited at the P3 Gallery London, in September for the MAPS 2011 show.
Exhibited at the P3 Gallery London, in September for the MAPS 2011 show.
Nana’s Old House
The Strand Shopping Centre
Merchiston Park
Harrowdown Hill
The MAPS 2011 PV video was created by the artist Philippe Calia
(copyright Philippe Calia, 2011)
See Have, Have Not Installation Shots label for images of the work at P3.
