5/10/2007
Nathaniel Mellors
ArtSway, Sway
The Time Surgeon is an absurdist film, partly inspired by Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape and Marker's La Jetee, in which the central character's verbal descriptions of torture is enough to send his tape-bound Victim shuttling forwards and backwards in time.
The Time Surgeon
ArtSway is delighted to announce The Time Surgeon, a new film-based installation
from Nathaniel Mellors, co-commissioned with the Biennale d’Art Contemporain de Lyon
2007. This new work was created while Nathaniel Mellors was artist in residence at
ArtSway this year, and much of the film was shot on location in the New Forest.
Nathaniel Mellors’ ArtSway residency is a partnership with the Arts Institute at
Bournemouth.
The Time Surgeon is an absurdist film, partly inspired by Samuel Beckett's Krapp's
Last Tape (1958) and Chris Marker’s La Jetée (1962), in which the central
character’s verbal descriptions of torture, in combination with the fast-forward and
rewind buttons on his Sony portable, are enough to send his tape-bound ‘Victim’
shuttling forwards and backwards in time. 'Victim' is steered through significant
historical events, visiting 1960s New York and Renaissance France as well as Jesus'
crucifixion at Golgotha -- arriving inside the body of Christ by mistake, causing
the abortion of Christ’s conjoined 'sensible twin', before finally meeting GOD – who
requests the end of the art-work.
Nathaniel Mellors is known for his ad-hoc sculpture, psychedelic theatre and
satirical films which target the question of who controls language.
Preview and Reception for the Artist: Saturday 6 October 2007, 2pm - 5pm
ArtSway
Station Road - Sway
Tuesday - Sunday 11am - 5pm