A Vue

2004 – Mixed Media Animation, 7:28 minutes

A Vue recounts the story of Henry, a park ranger who has devoted his life to maintaining a gigantic bronze statue of George Washington Carver. The narrative develops when Henry meets Susan, who works at a fiber optics company. As the couple discuss the relationship between their lives and their jobs, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish an admirable task from a meaningless one. The statue of Carver remains motionless while ink wash drawings move unsteadily around it. Serving as an exploration of dedication to work rather than a mere tribute to an American hero, it symbolizes the dichotomy inherent in work, questioning whether this common means of self-definition might instead be a mechanism for self-obliteration. The musical score, written in collaboration with Abby Schneider, adds a grim intensity to the piece.

The animation combines digitally photographed stop-motion puppets, a 24" bronze monument and ink-wash painted environments. The sets were designed using 3D rendering tools. The animation and the bronze George Washington Carver, 150 ft. are both components of the installation.

- text by L.D., Film, Video, New Media, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2009

2004 – Bronze, George Washington Carver, 150 ft

This monument to George Washington Carver cradles a weight which was used for measuring cotton. In the animation, A Vue, the monument is visually scaled from 24 inches to 150 feet tall.