These Truths
VIDEO | MFA Thesis Project
These Truths animates a combination of historical texts—The Declaration of Sentiments, from the 1848 Seneca Falls Women’s Convention, and Sojourner Truth’s Ain’t I a Woman speech. The preamble of the Declaration of Sentiments (modeled after the Declaration of Independence) coincides with a sequence which shows a female body dressing itself in restrictive mid-nineteenth century attire. The text changes to a list of the women’s grievances, and the scene shifts into more surreal territory. The mild mannered figure appears in live-action vignettes while stenciled spray paint explodes behind. (The composition gives nod to the bizarre arrangement of decorated limbs and bodies in nineteenth century fashion plates.) I recorded the voices of women around campus reading the texts, which play as a voiceover during the video. Although these texts are products of the nineteenth century, their sentiments still ring distressingly true.
These Truths animates a combination of historical texts—The Declaration of Sentiments, from the 1848 Seneca Falls Women’s Convention, and Sojourner Truth’s Ain’t I a Woman speech. The preamble of the Declaration of Sentiments (modeled after the Declaration of Independence) coincides with a sequence which shows a female body dressing itself in restrictive mid-nineteenth century attire. The text changes to a list of the women’s grievances, and the scene shifts into more surreal territory. The mild mannered figure appears in live-action vignettes while stenciled spray paint explodes behind. (The composition gives nod to the bizarre arrangement of decorated limbs and bodies in nineteenth century fashion plates.) I recorded the voices of women around campus reading the texts, which play as a voiceover during the video. Although these texts are products of the nineteenth century, their sentiments still ring distressingly true.
Henryk Górecki’s second movement, Lento e largo—Tranquillissimo, from his Symphony No. 3 underscores the video. Soprano Dawn Upshaw repeatedly sings a prayer to Mary that an 18 year old woman scrawled on the wall of a Gestapo cell. The spirit of supplication and confinement felt an appropriate match.