Two minute video blending of stereotypes, with a stock ‘thermal glitch filter’ feel. I have had these plastic figures for a very long time. I think I may have bought them from the local flea market with the intention of photographing them – which I did, unsuccessfully. It never arrived in a way that mattered more than the pieces themselves.
Fast forward to experimenting with video, and motion – and getting a handle on Adobe Premiere I recorded the figures on a turntable for product photography – just to test lights, camera, color grading – everything else other than an art project.
Studying the pieces made me reflect on stereotypes. Perhaps created with initial gender innocence at the time (Louis Marx toys, mid-1960’s). There are others, many not as good – and it does not appear there are any for girls, only boys. You can see from the video the set that I have are: Army Soldier, Cowboy, German Soldier, Spaceman, Native American.
Does the strength of stereotypes stay with us from an early age? even the plastic representation of one. I decide to blend all five into one as they gather and rotate, then reverse the direction as if going back in time, overlayed with with a thermal look and slowly glitching away.
