Doppelgänger exhibited in REWIND show at Dundee Contemporary Arts

Description

Doppelgänger, 1979-81, 9min 11sec “Doppelgänger has its origins in 19th century German, literally ‘double-goer’, and means ‘an apparition or a double of a living person’. The core concept of the video - the exploration of the identity, is a key theme, like many video art pieces at the time. Identity as personality, as gender, as a psychological entity, as the body and as the artist... The piece begins with a close up of the face of the artist, her eyes face the camera directly, without hesitation, then we see her approaching a mirror and sit in front of it, with her back to the camera, dressed in denim overalls and a T-shirt. From the reflection in the mirror we see her putting make up on her face with very dry, precise gestures... Occasionally, the performance is interrupted by another image - the face of the artist, beautifully dressed, with her hair combed and make up on. This frozen portrait begins to move slightly, creating multiple images of her face. The piece returns to the mirror scene and the make up the artist has put on too much make up, her face has become a mask with an effect that is similar to theatre make up. She then drops the concealer and takes a dark pen, taking the role of a painter, she begins to draw on the mirror. The artist eventually shapes a sort of double of herself following the traces and borders of her real image reflected. This situation evokes the myth of Narcissus. The reflected image of the artist is manipulated by her drawing, creating a phantasmic double - the doppelgänger. This doppelgänger seems to become part of herself. She continues to work on the image moving her face and mimicking the gestures when you put lipstick on, continuing to look into to the mirror... Finally we return to the mirror scene, the artist has gone, and the doppelgänger has taken her place.” - Laura Leuzzi, 2012

Period	24 Nov 2012 → 1 Dec 2012
Held at	Dundee Contemporary Arts, United Kingdom