P1120263-C-Web 560x315.mp4 [C: This video shows THREE pieces.] (1) John Otte w/ Jeff Dahlgren, A Story of O Otte: This video piece, "A Story Of O" – because of the large wooden "O" or lifesaver shape that appears so dominantly is subtitled "Lucky Storm" [C: the "O" is not captured in the footage above; but this projection appears on the curtain in the bathroom in a previous page and on the wall in the beginning of the video above]. It was shot from overhead looking down into a black flatbed pickup truck with water and an assortment of objects that Jeff had collected in the back. A massive shower of rain appeared out of nowhere and filled the truck bed with several inches of water in only a few minutes. I had contributed various pieces which had somewhat geometrical shapes that reflect my intense interest in complex evocative forms in my paintings. In my mind, the more complex the shapes, the more ambiguous and loaded the possibilities are for interpretation. One of the most loaded objects was a large blue-tinted plastic bottle that had been melted for recycling purposes. Jeff found a trove of these. Some simply looked like melted, albeit very interesting, plastic bottles – very liquid-like. Others ended up with very thin tensile-like qualities – like when you stretch soft candy. This one had a little of both as well as a strong crystalline appearance. It's also a very dominant element in the video. The intense detail that results from the projection echoes my longstanding interest in Baroque painting and wallpaper. The reflected trees also contribute to this quality. I like the way the video activates the wall and works with the mirror. I have been experimenting with and thinking about these kinds of effects for many years, and knew intuitively that this would create an interesting effect. However, after all the work and planning, there is always a point where "grace" – from the word gratis (for free) occurs, at least in my art. I could not have planned it ALL that way. But, I quickly realized that this video was "bleeding" into the bathroom and projecting onto the blue curtain as well. With a few quick and minor adjustments, I was able to get the video to line up with the curtain and fill it perfectly. . . . it's also remarkable – almost another distinct piece in and of itself. With a little thought, one recognizes that this is coming from the projection inside. To me this is akin to the way we perceive the world. We constantly recognize patterns and connections. In fact, we make them. We construct them. This is particularly true with moving images and sound. This kind of thing happens all over this exhibition. One thing obscures another. One thing frames another. One thing informs another. "Hail Mary . . . full of GRACE!" (2) Dawn DeDeaux, [the round-shaped video of leaves reflected in water, the same or similar to one included in her The Goddess Fortuna and Her Dunces in an Effort to Make Sense of It All installation (see visuals starting here, esp. here]. (3) Sally Heller, [the piece suspended from the ceiling in the bar, with the hand w/ fork tapping on a tray]. Otte: It is her first video work. She shot HD video of her father who has Parkinsons Disease. He is in his late eighties, and otherwise very healthy. But, he just cannot control that hand. She noticed that he was often hitting his empty plate percussively - in shorter amounts, of course - before being served dinner, and she asked him to let her capture this on video. He had no problem with it. In fact, you can tell that he is constantly repositioning the fork as he goes in an artful manner. Ultimately, this action is ambiguous and calls to mind many things. Is he a beggar? Is he doing this to irritate us constantly? How much is he in control here? Does he like the sound he's making? Is it beautiful, irritating or a combination of the two?