Repetition in Video- Bruce Nauman "Good Boy Bad Boy" (1985)

 

This video is half of a piece by Bruce Nauman called “Good Boy Bad Boy” (1985). The piece typically shows a woman and a man saying the same lines, with the two going in and out of synchronicity as they emphasise and pause at different parts. Although this clip only shows the woman’s half of the piece I think it could be interesting to incorporate both into my video piece as the overlapping of different words gives the sound a dimensionality.

I want to experiment with using this piece in my video as the way Bruce Nauman has used language in his work has inspired me in the past and I think it could be interesting to work with directly. Using another artists work in my own isn’t something which I have thought about doing before, but I have recently researched other artists who have done this, which is why I think it could be interesting to experiment with during this residency.

In my practice I have recently been looking at boredom and how different emotions can change how time feels. Through the repetitive nature of what the people say in this piece, I feel like it relates well to the theme of time.

- Tilly