Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Eija-Liisa Ahtila, The House/Talo, 2002


Ahtila is a Finish video artist that bases her artwork on narratives and the exploration of feminism. While browsing through Slyvia Smith's book, Video Art, I found Ahtila description and artwork very interesting as she delves into the exploration of identity. Smith explains that many of her video work revolves around the British author James Joyce. In this film, presented at the Tate Modern in 2002, she explores the documentary-like film of a private woman confessional. There are three projections, symbolizing the different perspectives a women could have on her body image (or the way society differs in viewing women), and in the middle is the half-body shot of the women explaining her sorrows about her "fat and ugly body." As this is a hard documentary to watch, the changing perspectives that flank the main frame create a sense of tension and uneasiness. Also, the wind symbolizes this unsteadiness as well.

.|.Eija-Liisa Ahtila.|. The Wind.|. 2002 from reel aesthete on Vimeo.

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