Ben Rivers's, Slow Action at Matt's Gallery, London · Home Shows Agenda Subscribe About Contact...
2
Home Shows Agenda Subscribe About Contact RSS Search 1.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. 2.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. 3.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. 4.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. 5.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. 6.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. 7.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. 8.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. By Anna Gritz On Saturday September 30th 1967, Robert Smithson boarded the number 30 Inter-City bus to Passaic, carrying with him a copy The New York Times, a spiral notebook, a paperback of Brian Aldiss's Earthworks and his instamatic camera. This kit of the modern day explorer was most likely not so different to that used by Ben Rivers when he set out in 2010 to shoot his most recent film Slow Action. Smithson explored Passaic, New Jersey, identifying new monuments in the suburban post- industrial landscape and discovering the ruins of an alien prehistoric society. In Slow Action, Rivers created an island biogeography in four chapters. Narrated in the neutral tone and scientific language of 1950s ethnographic documentaries, the history, ecosystem, and inhabitants' of each of the four isolated landmasses unfold from the register of the ‘great encyclopedia'—as the narrator describes the source. Two narrators negotiate the utopian potential of the four islands, channeling the perspective of an unspecified ‘curator.' Film critic Ilona Halberstadt's alluring, yet slightly metallic voice was intentionally chosen by Rivers for this role to reference Werner Herzog's collaboration with film critic Lotte Eisner in his film Fata Morgana (1971). The voice-over narrative was written by Mark von Schlegell independently to River's filmic exploration, with the components only matched after the fact. This split between commentary and filmic imagery is a repeated occurrence during the film that successfully distances the viewer from the material on screen and provides grounds for the multiple accounts of the islands happenings and its inhabitants' behaviour. This device reveals the narration as one possible interpretation of the films imagery, or alternatively, it positions the films imagery as one of many potential illustrations of the narrative. Both the visual and audio material appears dated and the washed out 16mm film is at times distorted. The frames feel rusty and corroded as if found in a metal cartridge washed ashore, set aside for future civilizations to learn about those that have past. Smithson's act of carrying the lineage of inspiration in his pocket is a well-chosen device used to set the scene, a tool similar to that of quoting. Sources of inspiration become co- conspirators, creating and reshaping the experience of the work. Similarly, Rivers is hardly shy when it comes to naming his inspirations, not that they could be overlooked. For his research he consulted the masters of post-apocalyptic fiction, from Victorian writers such as Samuel Butler, Mary Shelley, and Richard Jefferies, to Herbert Read and more contemporary representatives—JG Ballard, Jorge Luis Borges and Kurt Vonnegut. The four episodes in Slow Action, titled Eleven, HIVA, Kanzennashima, and Somerset each embrace their own common post-apocalyptic tropes of the classic science fiction paradigm. These coalesce the island's inherent characteristics and pending potential; Eleven (filmed on Lanzarote), a crystallized world suspended between prehistory and future; HIVA (filmed on Tuvalu), an isolated island society that evolved apart from the rest of the world; Kanzennashima (filmed on the abandoned Japanese island Gunkanjima), a locale of the last men in an abandoned world; and Somerset (filmed on an unnamed location), the imminent island home to a clade of new savages. The film is thus more an ode to a genre than an independent work and less about creating something anew. Then again, the recurring thematic may be an ailment of the science fiction genre itself, grounded in the untrammeled nature of the subject, which has the ability to go forward as to go back. The last men on earth stray through the lands not unlike the first, with their trepid, bare existence epitomizing the Petri dish—the material from which the science fiction writer probes the limits of the scientific datum. In Slow Action, Rivers continues to skillfully create hermetic worlds that shed light on four of many possible futures. And yet one may want to retort that any science fiction can in due course be reality, especially considering that while this review is being written, the outlines of Japan are being reconfigured. 1.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. Still from 16mm film. Color and black & white. 45 minutes. 2.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. Still from 16mm film. Color and black & white. 45 minutes. 3.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. Still from 16mm film. Color and black & white. 45 minutes. 4.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. Still from 16mm film. Color and black & white. 45 minutes. 5.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. Still from 16mm film. Color and black & white. 45 minutes. Ben Rivers's, "Slow Action" at Matt's Gallery, London 26 Jan–20 March 2011 Claire Sherman's "Palms Wild" at Kavi Gupta Gallery, Chicago February 19–April 9, 2011 April 5 2011 Ben Rivers's, "Slow Action" at Matt's Gallery, London 26 Jan–20 March 2011 March 31 2011 Sofia Hultén's "Pressure Drop" at RaebervonStenglin, Zürich 11 Feb – 2 April, 2011 March 29 2011 Sharjah Biennial: 10 Plot for a Biennial (16 March-16 May, 2011) and Art Dubai (16-19 March, 2011) March 24 2011 James Franco's "The Dangerous Book Four Boys" at Peres Projects, Berlin 12 Feb – 23 April, 2011 March 23 2011 Agenda All Agenda Tools RSS Share This Twitter Mail to a friend Recipent e-mail: Your name: Send Diigo Web Highlighter Diigo Web Highlighter (v1.6.3.2) (v1.6.3.2) Highlight Highlight Bookmark Bookmark Sticky Note Sticky Note Share Share Feedback Feedback
Transcript of Ben Rivers's, Slow Action at Matt's Gallery, London · Home Shows Agenda Subscribe About Contact...
Home Shows Agenda Subscribe About Contact RSS Search
1.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010.
2.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010.
3.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010.
4.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010.
5.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010.
6.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010.
7.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010.
8.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010.
By Anna Gritz
On Saturday September 30th 1967, Robert Smithson boardedthe number 30 Inter-City bus to Passaic, carrying with him acopy The New York Times, a spiral notebook, a paperback ofBrian Aldiss's Earthworks and his instamatic camera. This kitof the modern day explorer was most likely not so different tothat used by Ben Rivers when he set out in 2010 to shoot hismost recent film Slow Action. Smithson explored Passaic, NewJersey, identifying new monuments in the suburban post-industrial landscape and discovering the ruins of an alienprehistoric society. In Slow Action, Rivers created an islandbiogeography in four chapters. Narrated in the neutral toneand scientific language of 1950s ethnographic documentaries,the history, ecosystem, and inhabitants' of each of the fourisolated landmasses unfold from the register of the ‘greatencyclopedia'—as the narrator describes the source.
Two narrators negotiate the utopian potential of the fourislands, channeling the perspective of an unspecified ‘curator.'Film critic Ilona Halberstadt's alluring, yet slightly metallicvoice was intentionally chosen by Rivers for this role toreference Werner Herzog's collaboration with film critic LotteEisner in his film Fata Morgana (1971). The voice-overnarrative was written by Mark von Schlegell independently toRiver's filmic exploration, with the components only matchedafter the fact. This split between commentary and filmicimagery is a repeated occurrence during the film thatsuccessfully distances the viewer from the material on screenand provides grounds for the multiple accounts of the islandshappenings and its inhabitants' behaviour. This device revealsthe narration as one possible interpretation of the filmsimagery, or alternatively, it positions the films imagery as oneof many potential illustrations of the narrative. Both the visualand audio material appears dated and the washed out 16mmfilm is at times distorted. The frames feel rusty and corrodedas if found in a metal cartridge washed ashore, set aside forfuture civilizations to learn about those that have past.
Smithson's act of carrying the lineage of inspiration in hispocket is a well-chosen device used to set the scene, a toolsimilar to that of quoting. Sources of inspiration become co-conspirators, creating and reshaping the experience of thework. Similarly, Rivers is hardly shy when it comes to naminghis inspirations, not that they could be overlooked. For hisresearch he consulted the masters of post-apocalyptic fiction,from Victorian writers such as Samuel Butler, Mary Shelley,and Richard Jefferies, to Herbert Read and more contemporaryrepresentatives—JG Ballard, Jorge Luis Borges and KurtVonnegut. The four episodes in Slow Action, titled Eleven,HIVA, Kanzennashima, and Somerset each embrace their owncommon post-apocalyptic tropes of the classic science fictionparadigm. These coalesce the island's inherent characteristicsand pending potential; Eleven (filmed on Lanzarote), acrystallized world suspended between prehistory and future;HIVA (filmed on Tuvalu), an isolated island society thatevolved apart from the rest of the world; Kanzennashima(filmed on the abandoned Japanese island Gunkanjima), alocale of the last men in an abandoned world; and Somerset (filmed on an unnamed location),the imminent island home to a clade of new savages. The film is thus more an ode to a genrethan an independent work and less about creating something anew. Then again, the recurringthematic may be an ailment of the science fiction genre itself, grounded in the untrammelednature of the subject, which has the ability to go forward as to go back. The last men on earthstray through the lands not unlike the first, with their trepid, bare existence epitomizing thePetri dish—the material from which the science fiction writer probes the limits of the scientificdatum.
In Slow Action, Rivers continues to skillfully create hermetic worlds that shed light on four ofmany possible futures. And yet one may want to retort that any science fiction can in duecourse be reality, especially considering that while this review is being written, the outlines ofJapan are being reconfigured.
1.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. Still from 16mm film. Color and black & white. 45 minutes.
2.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. Still from 16mm film. Color and black & white. 45 minutes.
3.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. Still from 16mm film. Color and black & white. 45 minutes.
4.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. Still from 16mm film. Color and black & white. 45 minutes.
5.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. Still from 16mm film. Color and black & white. 45 minutes.
Ben Rivers's, "Slow Action" at Matt'sGallery, London26 Jan–20 March 2011
Claire Sherman's "Palms Wild" at Kavi GuptaGallery, Chicago
February 19–April 9, 2011
April 5 2011
Ben Rivers's, "Slow Action" at Matt's Gallery,London
26 Jan–20 March 2011
March 31 2011
Sofia Hultén's "Pressure Drop" atRaebervonStenglin, Zürich
11 Feb – 2 April, 2011
March 29 2011
Sharjah Biennial: 10 Plot for a Biennial (16March-16 May, 2011) and Art Dubai (16-19March, 2011)
March 24 2011
James Franco's "The Dangerous Book FourBoys" at Peres Projects, Berlin
12 Feb – 23 April, 2011
March 23 2011
Agenda
All Agenda
Tools
RSS
Share This
Mail to a friend
Recipent e-mail:
Your name:
Send
Diigo Web Highlighter Diigo Web Highlighter (v1.6.3.2)(v1.6.3.2) HighlightHighlight BookmarkBookmark Sticky NoteSticky Note ShareShare FeedbackFeedback
6.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. Still from 16mm, color and black & white. 45 minutes.
7.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. Still from 16mm film. Color and black & white. 45 minutes.
8.Ben Rivers, Slow Action, 2010. Production still. 16mm film. Color and black & white. 45minutes. Photo, Alice Dubieniec.
Anna Gritz is Assistant Curator at the Hayward Gallery, London.
41 Essex Street, New York City, 10002 [email protected] | Contact | Subscribe | Unsubscribe
![David Ben-Gurion Freedom of Action Lesson Plan Central ... · David Ben-Gurion. In its significance and impact, that decision was comparable to thousands of [military] operations.”](https://static.fdocuments.us/doc/165x107/5f49a31e19f8202fe706db12/david-ben-gurion-freedom-of-action-lesson-plan-central-david-ben-gurion-in.jpg)
