Paper Landscape is one of a series of self-portrait performances that see Sherwin as a kind of film magician interacting in the live moment with a pre-recorded version of himself. Here, the artist stands behind a transparent screen onto which he applies white paint. This white surface makes visible an image of the same artist tearing up a paper screen to reveal a landscape behind. The performance progresses until the screen is entirely covered yet simultaneously uncovered, as the live action gives way to a filmed representation. Finally, the filmed figure disappears into the distance and the live performer cuts through the screen to reappear in front of the audience. (Kim Knowles)
Performer Guy Sherwin is one of the fundamental expanded cinema authors from Europe who studied painting at Chelsea School of Art in the late 1960s and taught film printing and processing at the London Film-Makers' Co-op (now LUX) during the mid-70s. His films work with fundamental qualities of cinema such as light and time, and often use serial forms and live elements. They are exhibited in a variety of contexts: galleries, film festivals, cinemas. His recent works include installations made for exhibition spaces and performance collaborations with an artist Lynn Loo working with multiple projectors and optical sound.
Year of production: 1975-2008
Duration: 10 min
Format: 16mm film performance with frame, paint and a performer
Performed at PROCESS festival in Riga, 2023
