The Block Museum of Art (Northwestern): Artifacts
Rebecca Baron and Douglas Goodwin in person
From Polaroids to AI, digital compression to big-budget Hollywood spectacle, the work of multi-disciplinary California artists Rebecca Baron and Douglas Goodwin look quizzically at imaging technologies and their shaky claims to reality. Making bold leaps between stylistic approaches and historical reference points, the films in this program all share a fascination with the blurred line between human and non-human, representation and abstraction, artifact and apparition. This program will feature the Chicago debut of their newest collaboration Nearest Neighbor (2023, 23 minutes), in which 21st-century birdwatching becomes an exercise in cracked machine-learning. Also featured are Lossless #3, Goodwin and Baron’s data-moshing landmark from 2008; Detour de Force (2014, 29 min), Baron’s archival documentary on parapsychological photographer Ted Serios; and Artifact #1 (2011, 13 min), in which Goodwin transforms the Steve McQueen action classic Bullitt into a fever dream of light and color.
FILMS SCREENED:
Nearest Neighbor (Rebecca Baron & Douglas Goodwin, 2023, 23 min, digital)
Lossless #3 (Rebecca Baron & Douglas Goodwin, 2008, 10 min, digital) Courtesy of VDB
Detour de Force (Rebecca Baron, 2014, 29 min, digital) Courtesy of VDB
Artifact #1 (Douglas Goodwin, 2011, 13 min, digital)