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A Vue

A work made of high-definition digital color video, sound (projection); 7:30 min. loop
edition number four of five.

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  • A work made of high-definition digital color video, sound (projection); 7:30 min. loop
edition number four of five.

Date:

2004

Artist:

Joshua Mosley
American, born 1974

About this artwork

Joshua Mosley’s stunning, often cryptic work, which involves a labor-intensive combination of drawing, high-definition video, photography, and sculpted stop-motion figures, has redirected the leading edge of animation technology away from its origins in collective production models and commercial applications, and into the visionary realm of the individual artist and the fine-art short film.A Vue recounts the story of Henry, a park ranger who has devoted his life to maintaining a gigantic bronze statue of George Washington Carver. The narrative develops when Henry meets Susan, who works at a fiber optics company. As the couple discuss the relationship between their lives and their jobs, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish an admirable task from a meaningless one. The statue of Carver remains motionless while ink wash drawings move unsteadily around it. Serving as an exploration of dedication to work rather than a mere tribute to an American hero, it symbolizes the dichotomy inherent in work, questioning whether this common means of self-definition might instead be a mechanism for self-obliteration. The musical score, written in collaboration with Abby Schneider, adds a grim intensity to the piece.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Contemporary Art

Artist

Joshua Mosley

Title

A Vue

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 2004

Medium

High-definition digital color video, sound (projection); 7:30 min. loop Edition number four of five

Credit Line

Gift of Donna and Howard Stone

Reference Number

2007.45

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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