Intrepreted, Obscured and Sought
William J. Hendricks
A Video Installation — April, 2005 at Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Interpreted -- Video
Thirty short clips were strung together in looping projections on opposite
walls of the gallery in which two people throw and catch three-dimensional
symbols. The characters in the video pitch objects over the viewer’s
head. In order to see the catch the viewer must spin around to the opposite
wall, and often witnesses the receiver catch a different object than was thrown.
The viewers find themselves in the center of the piece with symbols transforming
over their head in a virtual space. The signs used were selected to represent
a broad frame of reference such as home, family, economics, religion, history
and justice to name a few.
Obscured -- Photography
Photographic works were hung on the walls that are perpendicular to
the videos were photographs of symbols some being the same props that were
used in the video. Others were from the collection. The photographic images
are of the shadows cast and reflected by the objects. Their images are defined
by the studio lights and each other. No longer are their definitions self-referencing
but rather their environment and other objects define them.
Sought -- the Icon Present
The icons used in both the video and photographs were scattered at
one end of the gallery. Here the props are available be seen and interacted
with as viewers stroll through the space. The objects were available to be
picked up, moved or rearranged by the viewer. Thus the viewer now becomes
artist and author as he or she has the opportunity to examine the meaning
and alter the symbols presentation and associations as they might relate and
reference the viewer’s life.