70s Conceptual Art
Bas Jan Ader, Selected Works:
Fall 1 (Los Angeles 1970)
Fall II (Amsterdam 1970)
I'm Too Sad To Tell You (1971)
Broken Fall (Geometric) [West Kapelle - Holland]
Broken Fall (Organic) [Amsterdamse Bos - Holland]
Nightfall
"Teaching a Plant the Alphabet is an exercise in futility, an absurdist lesson in cognition and recognition. The scenario is elementary: A small potted plant sits atop a stool. In the role of teacher, Baldessari holds up a series of children's alphabet cards in sequence, repeating each letter to the plant until he has completed the alphabet. The plant, of course, does not respond. Eliciting deadpan humor from the incongruous juxtaposition of the rote instruction and the uncomprehending pupil, Baldessari creates illogic from a logical construct, making nonsense from sense. An elaboration of working notes in which Baldessari wrote, "Is it worth it to teach ants the alphabet?" this piece also responds to Joseph Beuys' 1965 performance How to explain pictures to a dead hare. -- EAI - ubu.com
"Acconci's open mouth is framed by the camera in an extreme close-up, bringing the viewer uncomfortably close. A desperate sense of strained urgency comes across as Acconci gasps, "I'll accept you, I won't shut down, I won't shut you out.... Im open to you, I'm open to everything.... This is not a trap, we can go inside, yes, come inside...." Acconci continues to plead in this way for the length of the tape, his mouth held unnaturally wide open. The pathological psychology of such enforced openness betrays a desperate struggle to accept and be accepted by others. The sustained image of Acconci's open mouth also evidences a sinister, vaguely threatening streak that is more or less evident in much of Acconci's work. -- EAI" - ubu.com
