Typically artist residencies are grounded in the notion that to create new work, artists need uninterrupted time and space. During that time artists are usually sequestered in a non-urban environment and are often expected to complete new work for exhibition. Given Right Window’s minimal resources and very publicly situated (and humble) space, the idea of 'residency' could be considered paradoxical and somewhat hyperbolic. Yet, for four weeks this summer, Right Window will explore how the framework of artist residency might work within a public rather than a privileged or private space as exhibition.
To this end, local artist Anne Colvin, whose art practice encompasses many media including photography and video as well as curating and publishing, has been invited to occupy Right Window as artist-in-residence. For her residency she will use two Maya Deren films—Meshes of the Afternoon and Ritual in Transfigured Time—as source material for a new video piece. A pioneering American avant-garde film maker working in the 1940s and 50s, Deren became known for her work with the power of movement and the challenges of space and time.
Like short form performances Colvin's video loops deliver a mesmerizing take on reworked footage. Whether a scene from Godard's Contempt or an isolated in-concert scream from Jim Morrison, abstracted clips coalesce with occasional sound along a tight timeline creating an experience more akin to musical abstraction than a linear filmed experience. Rather than focus on iconic or recognizable scenes Colvin is drawn to the interstitial—or inconsequential—moments and gestures which she extends in time. Shooting off the wall or directly from a monitor, she often creates her own movement within the camera assuming the role of 'choreographer.'
Visitors are encouraged to meet with Colvin during the time of her residency and witness her production process. Colvin will organize a series of events to coincide with her time at Right Window. These will be announced via email. To join this list, please send an email to rightwindow@gmail.com with 'subscribe' in the subject line.
Anne Colvin's work has recently been exhibited at Gavin Brown's Enterprise, New York; Laguna Art Museum, CA; Lowsalt Gallery, Glasgow; The Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop; Mare Street Biennale 08, Artistspace, London; and Worksound Gallery, Portland. She co-founded the San Francisco project space TART (2004—07) and in the last year has produced three issues of Skank Bloc Bologna, a free-form art and poetry journal. Her recent curatorial projects include The Colony Room, New Langton Arts and I Am Kurious Orange at David Cunningham Projects, San Francisco. For more information, please visit: http://www.annecolvin.com & http://www.tartsf.com
Right Window's Summer 2009 Artist Residency is a project initiated and organized by Karla Milosevich and Chuck Mobley. Right Window is situated at ATA (Artists' Television Access). Support for Right Window has been provided by Southern Exposure’s Alternative Exposure Grant Program.
