On Steve McQueen

I was first introduced to the work of artist, Steve McQueen, last spring when I read the article, The Art of Darkness: On Steve McQueen, by author T.J. Demos.  I find McQueen's work to be deeply psychological, evocative, enigmatic, and visually quite powerful. I had the rare opportunity to view one of McQueen's films at the Hirshhorn Museum during the first exhibition of Realisms in the spring and was immediately hooked. I say rare because McQueen's work is often very difficult to find online. The piece was called "Bear" and it was so visually beautiful that I couldn't help but stare up at the projected moving image, enthralled, as I sat on the cold museum floor in the darkness. It was the first time that I had ever seriously contemplated working in new media. 

The film Bear toys with the relationship between flirtation and aggression that takes place between two African American nude men, who wrestle each other in a ring. The juxtaposing of aggressive behavior and flirtatious intent is fascinating. I found myself oblivious to the fact that the men were nude, their genitalia blatantly exposed, as they their bodies clamored together in total s

ilence. The visual appeal of the film aids in seducing the viewer into submission. Shot in black and white, the grainy footage feels archaic, as if it was from another time period. McQueen was greatly influenced by early silent films which comes across in his work. I think the poetic beauty of his work creates an interesting dialogue in relation to the subject matter. McQueen poses questions about race, masculinity, homoeroticism, and violence in the incredibly poignant piece. He also uses himself to play one of the two "characters" raising questions of whether or not the piece can be considered a self portrait. 

In working on my own film project, Balance, I felt the influence of McQueen's work who I am heavily inspired by. I was interested in creating dynamic juxtapositions to construct a sort of visual rhetoric  in order to communicate with the audience. I wanted to create a visually appealing moving image as a foil to a seemingly "ugly" subject matter; a dancer's foot. I suppose I also wanted to uphold and dismantle the idea of grace simultaneously. Like McQueen, I employed the tool of large-scale projection on a flat wall in an enclosed space. I saw this as a way of enveloping the typically passive viewer. McQueen uses the same tactic as a way to enact self reflection in the audience. The absence of sound in his work also plays a vital role. McQueen states that "The whole idea of making it a silent piece is so that when people walk into the space they become very much aware of themselves, of their own breathing...I want to put people in a situation where they're sensitive to themselves watching the piece." McQueen isn't interested in the passive viewer, he very much wants them to take part in the experience he creates via film.  McQueen has completed a collection of films which decisively employ specific tactics that serve his agenda as an artist and filmmaker.

Quote courtesy of: Tate Online. 

Bear, a ten minute piece completed in 1993, was an early project in the timeline of McQueen's career. Besides the use of black and white and the implementation of silence, McQueen enjoys the process of interrupting the viewing process or exposing the mechanical limitations of the camera. For example in the film Catch,  completed in 1997, McQueen and his sister toss and camera back and forth outside. At each interval, the camera is turned outward to focus briefly on the individual across the short distance, and then tossed into the air. The camera tumbles and all that is captured is blurred chaotic motion. The camera in unable to catch the motion that occurs between the physical catch of it, itself. McQueen repeats this tactic in the content heavy film Western Deep, 2002. The film is about the perils of South African Mining operations. Western Deep opens with an appropriate sequence. The film begins in total darkness with only the mechanical sounds of the mining equipment 

serving as a soundtrack. The darkness serves as a metaphor for the way the minors spend their lives.

It is also yet another interruption of the viewing process and serves as commentary on the function of the documentary, which is in fact to document. McQueen is also careful to never actually show the product of the mining industry, gold. Instead, he shows the real product of the industry, which is the effect it has had on the people who live it. 

I found the notion of interrupting the viewing experience

to be intriguing and employed it in my own work. In

Balance I interrupt the gaze of the audience on the feminine form as a way of placing the power back into realm of the subject, and not the viewer. I feel in my case it relates more to feminism than it does of course in McQueen's, who is more interested in undermining the idea of documentation and creating a metaphor for political repression.  The act of "looking" or gazing is a sensual experience and there is something very tangible and alarming about dramatically interrupting it. Looking is also such an important aspect of assessing art and to interrupt it seems to undermine an academic, and patriarchal system for assessing beauty, success, and purpose. 

McQueen has been an important source of inspiration for the development of my work. I continue to be fascinated with him and his voice as an artist in today's society. I hope to continue exploring new ways of expressing my voice in multimedia and have McQueen to thank for opening a door that I never knew existed for me as a means of artistic expression. 

Below is a video of the artist talking about his most recent film Hunger for which is received the Camera d'Or award at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. It should be noted that McQueen is also the recipient of the Turner Prize, which he was honored with in 1999.