Dr Carla Thackrah
doctoral research & thesis
music, sound & video portraits
Case Study: Voyeur Series
Shown below in two different display options, exploring different aspects of the research question.
First Display Option (above)
The first display option, above, is to show the work on multiple LCD screens in a gallery setting, playing simultaneously and looped repeatedly.
One needs a reasonably fast internet speed for this. It is suggested that the viewer click on the play/pause arrows in fast succession and let the videos run simultaneously and repeatedly.
Second Display Option (below)
This option shows each sitter displayed individually, on a single LCD screen, and beside each portrait I place a name - Pole Woman, Demon Man and Graffiti Man - and intertextual information. Both the name and the story were inspired by my experience of the sitters while I was filming them.
Graffitti Man
I noticed this man only because I was filming the wonderful bit of graffiti on the wall which translates to "music for your eyes". As I filmed the graffiti, my attention was drawn to the man sitting on the step. He appeared calm, until slowly, as I filmed, I became aware of his disturbing facial tics.
Quebracho Man
I was entranced by this scene of a man interacting with the young girl. I filmed them for a long while, secretly from across the street. The care and joy displayed by both the man and the little girl was fascinating. I looked afterwards to see what his business was. There was a word in Spanish I didn't understand - "quebracho". I looked it up and discovered it was a radical left political organisation and his little business, if it indeed made any money, was the place where they printed their newspapers.
Pole Woman
The old woman was intent on her 'job' cleaning the poles of their remnants of advertising posters. Why had she made this the focus of her life? Where did she sleep? How did she survive? I was fascinated by the old brown slippers on her feet and the softness in her face; the street was her living room and she was fastidiously keeping it clean.
Demon Man
The young alcoholic in the street; fighting so many demons in his crazed state. What were they saying to him? The existential isolation of his world seems to be mirrored in the crossed out 'E' sign - it translates as 'no parking' but looking at him it seemed to be demanding 'existence not allowed'. The hard, hot, toxic truck grill and the gaping garbage bin; everything seems to be waiting for him to finally falter.
Piqueteros
Every day, in many places, there are demonstrations in Buenos Aires; usually working class who are out of work. Many would gather and block the streets and in their face masks, with their sticks, they looked frightening and intimidating. But see the faces behind the threatening stances, and they are just people like you and I, trying to survive.