Tacita Dean's JG: Film as Spiral of Time at Marian Goodman Paris
Between January 15 and March 1, 2014, the Marian Goodman Gallery in Paris showcased JG, a 26.5-minute anamorphic 35mm film created by British artist Tacita Dean. This work delves into themes of film, time, and Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty. In 1997, Dean sought to find the piece, which inspired her sound project Trying to Find the Spiral Jetty. During her research, she engaged with writer J.G. Ballard, uncovering his respect for Smithson and connections between his narrative "The Voices of Time" and Spiral Jetty. The film employs a masking technique to create a split-screen effect with concurrent visuals, and its presentation echoed the style of early cinema. Dean emphasizes the importance of preserving celluloid film, asserting that JG could not exist in a digital format.
Key facts
- JG screened at Marian Goodman Gallery, Paris, Jan 15–Mar 1, 2014
- Film is 26.5 minutes, 35mm anamorphic color and black-and-white with optical sound
- Projected in a loop in the gallery basement
- Dean failed to find Spiral Jetty in 1997, created Trying to Find the Spiral Jetty
- Film title JG references J.G. Ballard
- Dean corresponded with Ballard, who wrote 'Treat it as a mystery that the film will solve'
- Dean developed a masking technique for Film at Tate Modern in 2012
- JG uses split-screen with up to three simultaneous images
- Film features salt crystals, geological cuts, chameleon, tapir
- Voiceover: 'It literally sees time'
- Screening setup: dark room, cinemascope screen, comfortable seats, isolated projection booth
- Dean advocates for film preservation with Kubelka and Tarantino
Entities
Artists
- Tacita Dean
- Robert Smithson
- Peter Kubelka
- Quentin Tarantino
- J.G. Ballard
- Nathaniel Dorsky
- Hollis Frampton
- Guillaume Basquin
Institutions
- Marian Goodman Gallery
- Tate Modern
- UNESCO
- Arcadia University Gallery of Art
- The Artnewspaper
- artpress
- Trafic
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Rozel Point
- United States
- Utah
- California
- Tate Modern
- London
- Beaubourg
- Museum of Modern Art
Sources
- artpress —