Piecemeal Thought on the Whitney Biennial Part III: They Hate America
Read Part I here.
Read Part II here
Here is a note on the Fifth Floor Mezzanine Biennial subshow, “Down by Law“: Yeah, yeah, America (oh yeah, Amerika with a ‘k’) is a terrible dark place of torture, etc. Tell me something new, enlighten me. One piece that really deserves attention, though, is Kerry Tribe’s video of transferred 16mm film, “Untitled (Potential Terrorists).” Riffing on Warhol’s screen tests, she has ordinary folk (actually actors who responded to a casting call) staring into her lens, revealing faces that are more typical of America than those who ran through the Factory. This was a particularly subtle and beautiful portrait of potential: that any one of these people could be a headline or a mug shot some day reminds us that no one is entirely immune from their shadow.
Another highlight is a cool little illustration by Fred Tomaselli, titled, “Self-Portrait,” which presents a constellation of all the bands he has seen (including the Minutemen!).
The show, curated by The Wrong Gallery, is very cluttered, which is fitting since it mimics the small, paranoid feeling one gets while absorbed by fear. I guess I’m tired of feeling crappy about the world.
