And So Departed (Again)

"And So Departed (Again)" is supported by Charles St. Video, YYZ Gallery and Images Festival and will be exhibited at YYZ Gallery, Toronto, in April, 2003. The piece is a video installation which documents an endurance performance by an actress (Nancy Palk) work in succession with five directors (Chris Abrahams, Louise Noland, John Greyson, Jennifer Tarver, Richard Rose) over the course of a twelve hour day. The exhibition employs projections on three large screens which correspond to the camera positions of close-up, medium and long shot.

For the entire period the directors rehearse the actress in a "death scene". The goal of the scene is simple: the actress/character must die. The death should be from internal causes (no knives, guns, ropes, etc.) The action is basically life leaving the body. The director will have significant leeway in how he/she approaches the scene although this will be developed in discussion with the artist. Narrative elements are to be kept to a minimum although some discussion of the potential character of the protagonist will no doubt occur. The emphasis is on both the pysical and psychological moment of death and the many ways it can be "played." The cameras are stationed at three fixed frames. One is on close-up, one on medium shot and one on long shot. The cameras are stationary to produce a tension between cinematic and theatrical conventions.

 23 September 2003