RED TAPES
via Vito Acconci
REVENGE REVENGE REMORSE REMORSE
REPRESSION REPRESSION RELIEF RELIEF
RESISTANCE RESISTANCE
Everybody, “Long live the revolution!”
DESPAIR DESPAIR [Don’t you hear it?]
Turn. I wanted to say
“a scream wrapped up in itself”.
Pile in. Step on it,
E--the new font,
say that you needed the electricity. [Say that you crave it.]
Barry Alpert / Silver Spring, MD US / 10-16-07 (2:47 PM)
Written during my first viewing of Vito Acconci’s 141 minute videotape,
a bicentennial piece in 3 parts dedicated to Lizzie Borden. Acconci wrote
an impressive retrospective analysis of this work specially for John
Hanhardt’s screening of it at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, but
unfortunately the museum didn’t include it on their website & barely
publicized the series of which it was one installment (also featuring
Hollis Frampton, Dan Graham, & Gary Hill). At least they acquired “The Red
Tapes” for their collection. Vito Acconci received an MFA in creative
writing from the U of Iowa, but I first encountered him as an extremely
provocative & powerful performance/video/installation artist. His early
writing has recently been gathered up, as well as the influential magazine
O to 9 which he edited with the poet Bernadette Mayer.
He’s had considerable & varied impact on me. But instead of directing you
to another text by yours truly via Vito Acconci, you might find David
Antin’s recent review in Artforum provides a fuller sense of the context
for Acconci’s early writing:
www.coldbacon.com/art/artforum/acconci-antin.html
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