Marathon
Super 8mm Film (Digitally Converted) – 2003
In my new performance art 8mm film Marathon, I’m focusing on assimilation. This metaphoric journey begins in a wooded area and moves to the grit and grind of a contemporary urban landscape. The idea was simple. Referencing art films and music videos, this piece is a dark and humorous look at assimilation and migration. The film’s quick paced movements and music abstractly illustrate the process of integration.The intentions of Marathon are to be loose, free, graceful, poetic, constantly in motion but not frenetic. Reminiscent of commercials of black athletes like O.J. Simpson and Marion Jones displaying their athletic prowess by casually hurdling over obstacles and objects to attain their goals. The power and grace of these Afro-American figures in constant motion is commanding. In an American society in which traditional, physical, artistic movement (i.e. Dance) is under appreciated, athleticism is often its alternative. It’s held up by our culture as the acceptable display of heroic and physical articulation.
Jefferson Pinder