Michele Jaquis
we still do not have to inherit
everything they leave for us
9/7 to 10/5, 2007
Reception: Friday, 9/7, 6p to 9p
we still do not have to inherit everything they leave for us — Michele Jaquis' recent videos and light jet prints use Super 8 and VHS home movies, old family photographs and staged still life photographs to investigate family dynamics and the complex relationships between the individual members. The collection of images and added information re-contextualizes each relationship from a vantage point that is simultaneously inside the family yet outside the specific relationship. The titles and added text use no names, only pronouns, so as to keep the stories anonymous.
Portfolio
Artist Statement
Online Information
(re)connected
detail of larger installation, dimensions variable, ©2000-2001
one of fourteen stories, collected from close friends and family members, printed as jigsaw puzzles, table, chair, and ongoing performance/interactive installation
is this something i even want?
still from single channel video/sound installation with sand and swing, dimensions variable, ©2002-2003
As an interdisciplinary artist, I strive to make work that is a balance between an effort to engage the viewer, both physically and emotionally, and a practice of reflecting upon my observations and experiences. Much of my work is autobiographical, while recognizing that my experiences are not unlike that of many others'. Combining various media, including video, installation, sound, performance and photography, my work becomes a correspondence, examining the complexities and difficulties within personal relationships. In some pieces I function as a facilitator, organizing participants or contributors who become my collaborators. In others I am a collector, re-editing and re-contextualizing found images, both moving and still. While in other works I am a performer engaging with other bodies and environments for the gaze of either a live audience or that of the video camera. In every piece the viewer plays an integral role, fluctuating between active participant, sculptural object and witness to the events that transpire.
www.rise-ind.com/michelejaquis