Levitating in
the studio, 2006, video 2 mins
Levitating
in the studio [2006] is a video riposte to Bruce Nauman’s double-exposure
photograph ‘Failing to Levitate in the Studio’ [1966], in
which Nauman appears to succeed and fail simultaneously in an attempt
to balance between two chairs. Allen’s successful levitation makes
undisguised use of theatrical technology - ‘secular magic’
rather than any atavistic powers hinted at in Nauman’s image - whilst
a ladder and wine bottle nearby point to more conventional art historical
iconographies associated with escape and transcendence.
Smoke
and Mirrors, mac and Vivid, Birmingham, 2006 >