2. ARREST, thirteen minutes--b/w--with sound, 1970
ARREST'S thirteen minute length begins with the (same) word set in bold capital letters, reversed out on a black screen (frame); this lasts for ± 30 seconds ( much longer than a title ).
A blank (white) frame follows, and for ±two and a half minutes, a voice-over repeats the number 215436 / 215436 / 215436... delivered like a quiet litany *
( to commit to memory... ).
Then a head ( the artist's **) shot in profile ( very dark against a light background ) enters from the left side of the frame, passes through the frame, disappearing on the right, soon returning in reverse , 'rocking' back and forth for the next ten minutes. It was a continuous ten minute 'take', so the effort shows ( the artist trying to stay 'in frame' and move in a regular pattern ). This (main) segment is silent, but I imagined the number prreviously introduced, to be repeating, still inside each viewer's head...
This ten minute reel ends with a punctuation point --'full stop'.
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This work was conceived as an 'installation' for one ( projection ) room; the room oscillating between black and white ( dark and light ).
Further, an enlargement ( study ) of the film strip ( displayed horizontally ) shows the artist's action describing a 'sine wave' through a strictly delineated space. Other, related 'notes' focus on similar effects.
the soundtrack was a reading by the poet John Sharkey...
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