what did jackie say?

2
Leonardo What Did Jackie Say? Author(s): Joseph Wilson Source: Leonardo, Vol. 28, No. 4 (1995), p. 245 Published by: The MIT Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1576181 . Accessed: 12/06/2014 16:45 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . The MIT Press and Leonardo are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Leonardo. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 194.29.185.251 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 16:45:53 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

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Page 1: What Did Jackie Say?

Leonardo

What Did Jackie Say?Author(s): Joseph WilsonSource: Leonardo, Vol. 28, No. 4 (1995), p. 245Published by: The MIT PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1576181 .

Accessed: 12/06/2014 16:45

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

The MIT Press and Leonardo are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access toLeonardo.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 194.29.185.251 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 16:45:53 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Page 2: What Did Jackie Say?

black-and-white footage shot inside the Canterbury Coal mine and still photo- graphs of the wash house. The film se- quences focus on a shift change, with miners entering and disappearing into the mine. The continuous loop runs through a steel conveyor (1 x 5 x 28 ft) and is projected onto a free-standing frame of glass. A second afterimage hov- ers on the wall behind the first screen.

WHAT DID JACKIE SAY?

Joseph Wilson, 319 A Street, Boston, MA 02210, U.S.A. E-mail: <[email protected]>.

black-and-white footage shot inside the Canterbury Coal mine and still photo- graphs of the wash house. The film se- quences focus on a shift change, with miners entering and disappearing into the mine. The continuous loop runs through a steel conveyor (1 x 5 x 28 ft) and is projected onto a free-standing frame of glass. A second afterimage hov- ers on the wall behind the first screen.

WHAT DID JACKIE SAY?

Joseph Wilson, 319 A Street, Boston, MA 02210, U.S.A. E-mail: <[email protected]>.

black-and-white footage shot inside the Canterbury Coal mine and still photo- graphs of the wash house. The film se- quences focus on a shift change, with miners entering and disappearing into the mine. The continuous loop runs through a steel conveyor (1 x 5 x 28 ft) and is projected onto a free-standing frame of glass. A second afterimage hov- ers on the wall behind the first screen.

WHAT DID JACKIE SAY?

Joseph Wilson, 319 A Street, Boston, MA 02210, U.S.A. E-mail: <[email protected]>.

Fig. 3. Joseph Wil- son, detail from the installation What didJackie Say? show- ing the many moni- tors that were controlled by mo- tion detectors. The piece is shown here as it was installed at Mobius in Boston in 1991.

Fig. 3. Joseph Wil- son, detail from the installation What didJackie Say? show- ing the many moni- tors that were controlled by mo- tion detectors. The piece is shown here as it was installed at Mobius in Boston in 1991.

Fig. 3. Joseph Wil- son, detail from the installation What didJackie Say? show- ing the many moni- tors that were controlled by mo- tion detectors. The piece is shown here as it was installed at Mobius in Boston in 1991.

What DidJackie Say ? is an installation that explores the motivation that causedJohn Kennedy,Jr., to salute the casket at his father's funeral in 1963. The inspiration for this installation came from a conversation I had with one of the journalists who covered the Kennedys before, during and after the assassination. The image ofJohn,Jr., sa- luting came up during this conversa- tion. The image remained in my memory as American iconography rep- resentative of that time. The journalist doubted that the 3-year-old could com- prehend such an action or be moti- vated to do it on his own.

The more I thought about the salute, the more I questioned its intent. In the footage of the saluting child, it is obvi- ous thatJackie indeed directed him to do it. What was her motivation in doing this? DidJohn,Jr., understand the situ- ation at hand? For whom was the salute intended? Outside of the public arena, would the same motivation exist? What didJackie say?

The large-scale installation was first shown at Mobius in Boston, Massachu- setts. Throughout the piece I repeat the image of the salute in various forms and media while exaggerating the ges- ture to be questioned by the viewer. The main structure of the installation is a hallway measuring 27 x 8 x 8 ft con- structed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe and aluminum joints. There is also a 10-ft square "living room" attached to the left side of the main hallway fabri- cated from the same materials.

The entire structure is covered with cotton muslin stretched over the pipe and held in place with Velcro. Eight large, black silhouettes of the saluting image ofJohn,Jr., line both sides of the hallway. Halfway down the left side of the hallway is a glass window frame suspended from the ceiling. The living

What DidJackie Say ? is an installation that explores the motivation that causedJohn Kennedy,Jr., to salute the casket at his father's funeral in 1963. The inspiration for this installation came from a conversation I had with one of the journalists who covered the Kennedys before, during and after the assassination. The image ofJohn,Jr., sa- luting came up during this conversa- tion. The image remained in my memory as American iconography rep- resentative of that time. The journalist doubted that the 3-year-old could com- prehend such an action or be moti- vated to do it on his own.

The more I thought about the salute, the more I questioned its intent. In the footage of the saluting child, it is obvi- ous thatJackie indeed directed him to do it. What was her motivation in doing this? DidJohn,Jr., understand the situ- ation at hand? For whom was the salute intended? Outside of the public arena, would the same motivation exist? What didJackie say?

The large-scale installation was first shown at Mobius in Boston, Massachu- setts. Throughout the piece I repeat the image of the salute in various forms and media while exaggerating the ges- ture to be questioned by the viewer. The main structure of the installation is a hallway measuring 27 x 8 x 8 ft con- structed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe and aluminum joints. There is also a 10-ft square "living room" attached to the left side of the main hallway fabri- cated from the same materials.

The entire structure is covered with cotton muslin stretched over the pipe and held in place with Velcro. Eight large, black silhouettes of the saluting image ofJohn,Jr., line both sides of the hallway. Halfway down the left side of the hallway is a glass window frame suspended from the ceiling. The living

What DidJackie Say ? is an installation that explores the motivation that causedJohn Kennedy,Jr., to salute the casket at his father's funeral in 1963. The inspiration for this installation came from a conversation I had with one of the journalists who covered the Kennedys before, during and after the assassination. The image ofJohn,Jr., sa- luting came up during this conversa- tion. The image remained in my memory as American iconography rep- resentative of that time. The journalist doubted that the 3-year-old could com- prehend such an action or be moti- vated to do it on his own.

The more I thought about the salute, the more I questioned its intent. In the footage of the saluting child, it is obvi- ous thatJackie indeed directed him to do it. What was her motivation in doing this? DidJohn,Jr., understand the situ- ation at hand? For whom was the salute intended? Outside of the public arena, would the same motivation exist? What didJackie say?

The large-scale installation was first shown at Mobius in Boston, Massachu- setts. Throughout the piece I repeat the image of the salute in various forms and media while exaggerating the ges- ture to be questioned by the viewer. The main structure of the installation is a hallway measuring 27 x 8 x 8 ft con- structed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe and aluminum joints. There is also a 10-ft square "living room" attached to the left side of the main hallway fabri- cated from the same materials.

The entire structure is covered with cotton muslin stretched over the pipe and held in place with Velcro. Eight large, black silhouettes of the saluting image ofJohn,Jr., line both sides of the hallway. Halfway down the left side of the hallway is a glass window frame suspended from the ceiling. The living

room can be viewed only through this window. At the end of the hallway are 20 black-and-white and color televi- sions piled on both sides of another structure suspending two smaller tele- visions (Fig. 3).

As the viewer enters the hallway, a motion detector triggers the play of a sound environment comprised of news reports of the assassination mixed with the sound of a mother's heartbeat re- corded through a womb. Details of photographs from the "Camelot" era project along the right wall. Eyes, ears and hands follow each other-stripped of their origins.

Through the glass window located in the middle of the left wall is seen a liv- ing-room setting, vintage 1963-chair, end tables, and a television with artifacts from this era. I felt that an accurate rep- resentation of the setting where most

people experienced the funeral was an important element in the piece. A televi- sion, the only light source in the room, illuminates newspaper headlines of the assassination lying on the coffee table. Hanging from the ceiling are 100 8-in silhouettes ofJohn, Jr., saluting an image made of black metal screen. They are suspended at different heights and scat- tered throughout the room. The screens resemble static emanating from the tele- vision and floating in the air-intermit- tently emulating the saluting image.

As viewers reach the end of the hall- way, their motion triggers the stacks of televisions. I felt that the televisions re- maining idle until the viewer reached this point accentuated other parts of the installation. I used televisions that were manufactured in the late 1950s up to the present in order to depict the generations to follow that would experi- ence the event through television.

In the middle of the piles of televi- sions is a structure consisting of a 4-x-2-

room can be viewed only through this window. At the end of the hallway are 20 black-and-white and color televi- sions piled on both sides of another structure suspending two smaller tele- visions (Fig. 3).

As the viewer enters the hallway, a motion detector triggers the play of a sound environment comprised of news reports of the assassination mixed with the sound of a mother's heartbeat re- corded through a womb. Details of photographs from the "Camelot" era project along the right wall. Eyes, ears and hands follow each other-stripped of their origins.

Through the glass window located in the middle of the left wall is seen a liv- ing-room setting, vintage 1963-chair, end tables, and a television with artifacts from this era. I felt that an accurate rep- resentation of the setting where most

people experienced the funeral was an important element in the piece. A televi- sion, the only light source in the room, illuminates newspaper headlines of the assassination lying on the coffee table. Hanging from the ceiling are 100 8-in silhouettes ofJohn, Jr., saluting an image made of black metal screen. They are suspended at different heights and scat- tered throughout the room. The screens resemble static emanating from the tele- vision and floating in the air-intermit- tently emulating the saluting image.

As viewers reach the end of the hall- way, their motion triggers the stacks of televisions. I felt that the televisions re- maining idle until the viewer reached this point accentuated other parts of the installation. I used televisions that were manufactured in the late 1950s up to the present in order to depict the generations to follow that would experi- ence the event through television.

In the middle of the piles of televi- sions is a structure consisting of a 4-x-2-

room can be viewed only through this window. At the end of the hallway are 20 black-and-white and color televi- sions piled on both sides of another structure suspending two smaller tele- visions (Fig. 3).

As the viewer enters the hallway, a motion detector triggers the play of a sound environment comprised of news reports of the assassination mixed with the sound of a mother's heartbeat re- corded through a womb. Details of photographs from the "Camelot" era project along the right wall. Eyes, ears and hands follow each other-stripped of their origins.

Through the glass window located in the middle of the left wall is seen a liv- ing-room setting, vintage 1963-chair, end tables, and a television with artifacts from this era. I felt that an accurate rep- resentation of the setting where most

people experienced the funeral was an important element in the piece. A televi- sion, the only light source in the room, illuminates newspaper headlines of the assassination lying on the coffee table. Hanging from the ceiling are 100 8-in silhouettes ofJohn, Jr., saluting an image made of black metal screen. They are suspended at different heights and scat- tered throughout the room. The screens resemble static emanating from the tele- vision and floating in the air-intermit- tently emulating the saluting image.

As viewers reach the end of the hall- way, their motion triggers the stacks of televisions. I felt that the televisions re- maining idle until the viewer reached this point accentuated other parts of the installation. I used televisions that were manufactured in the late 1950s up to the present in order to depict the generations to follow that would experi- ence the event through television.

In the middle of the piles of televi- sions is a structure consisting of a 4-x-2-

ft base skirted in white, pleated fabric. Ascending from the base are 17 white columns that arch at opposing 60? angles and support two small televi- sions. Twenty-five pairs of glass eyes par- tially buried in sand cover the entire surface of the base. Two large line drawings of the saluting child hang on the wall behind the columns.

One videotape plays simultaneously on all the televisions and on the televi- sion in the living room. The video con- sists of the 6 seconds of the footage of John,Jr., saluting, which was fed through a computer for effects and ani- mation. Robert Mitchell of PushPlay video graphics collaborated in the cre- ation of the 20-min video and provided production facilities.

When exiting the piece, viewers are confronted by a large, white silhouette of the saluting image that has a small monitor embedded in it playing the video. A quote byJohn Kennedy is writ- ten on the silhouette and reads, "In serving his vision of truth the artist best serves his nation."

REFLECTIONS BEHIND THE MIRROR: COPIER ART AS METAPHOR

Sarah Jackson, 1411 Edward Street, Halifax, B3H 3H5 Canada. E-mail: <[email protected]>.

With the appearance of digital color copiers, artists are developing a unique language quite distinct from those pos- sible with other printing techniques. Copier artists concentrate on the "hard copy" as being integrated into the total- ity of their personal expression by con- trolling symbolism, colors, scale, tex- tures and papers.

It is the immediate physical involve- ment of creating with this medium that

ft base skirted in white, pleated fabric. Ascending from the base are 17 white columns that arch at opposing 60? angles and support two small televi- sions. Twenty-five pairs of glass eyes par- tially buried in sand cover the entire surface of the base. Two large line drawings of the saluting child hang on the wall behind the columns.

One videotape plays simultaneously on all the televisions and on the televi- sion in the living room. The video con- sists of the 6 seconds of the footage of John,Jr., saluting, which was fed through a computer for effects and ani- mation. Robert Mitchell of PushPlay video graphics collaborated in the cre- ation of the 20-min video and provided production facilities.

When exiting the piece, viewers are confronted by a large, white silhouette of the saluting image that has a small monitor embedded in it playing the video. A quote byJohn Kennedy is writ- ten on the silhouette and reads, "In serving his vision of truth the artist best serves his nation."

REFLECTIONS BEHIND THE MIRROR: COPIER ART AS METAPHOR

Sarah Jackson, 1411 Edward Street, Halifax, B3H 3H5 Canada. E-mail: <[email protected]>.

With the appearance of digital color copiers, artists are developing a unique language quite distinct from those pos- sible with other printing techniques. Copier artists concentrate on the "hard copy" as being integrated into the total- ity of their personal expression by con- trolling symbolism, colors, scale, tex- tures and papers.

It is the immediate physical involve- ment of creating with this medium that

ft base skirted in white, pleated fabric. Ascending from the base are 17 white columns that arch at opposing 60? angles and support two small televi- sions. Twenty-five pairs of glass eyes par- tially buried in sand cover the entire surface of the base. Two large line drawings of the saluting child hang on the wall behind the columns.

One videotape plays simultaneously on all the televisions and on the televi- sion in the living room. The video con- sists of the 6 seconds of the footage of John,Jr., saluting, which was fed through a computer for effects and ani- mation. Robert Mitchell of PushPlay video graphics collaborated in the cre- ation of the 20-min video and provided production facilities.

When exiting the piece, viewers are confronted by a large, white silhouette of the saluting image that has a small monitor embedded in it playing the video. A quote byJohn Kennedy is writ- ten on the silhouette and reads, "In serving his vision of truth the artist best serves his nation."

REFLECTIONS BEHIND THE MIRROR: COPIER ART AS METAPHOR

Sarah Jackson, 1411 Edward Street, Halifax, B3H 3H5 Canada. E-mail: <[email protected]>.

With the appearance of digital color copiers, artists are developing a unique language quite distinct from those pos- sible with other printing techniques. Copier artists concentrate on the "hard copy" as being integrated into the total- ity of their personal expression by con- trolling symbolism, colors, scale, tex- tures and papers.

It is the immediate physical involve- ment of creating with this medium that

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This content downloaded from 194.29.185.251 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 16:45:53 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions