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Mediatheque
Joan Jonas 瓊．喬納斯
Duet 二重唱
1972
In this early work, Joan Jonas uses film as a medium of formal experimentation rather than a narrative tool. The artist first filmed herself in close-up, howling like a wolf. Using this footage as a large backdrop, she then re-filmed herself standing in front of the projected image, howling in a ‘duet’ with her recorded self. The straightforward ingredients of this conceptual piece—one performer and one prerecorded image, united by the simple action of howling—combine through a complex layering process. Jonas uses the work to explore how film can both reflect and distort the self, pointing to the distance between a recorded image and reality.
In the dynamic art scene of 1960s New York, Jonas was an important pioneer in the development of video art. She explored the formal qualities of video, often staging performance artworks with the city as a framing environment. She regularly cast fellow artists as performers, or else collaborated with them to film the works. Sculpture and drawing have also been critical to her oeuvre, forming part of a continuum with her time-based performances and video art.
In the dynamic art scene of 1960s New York, Jonas was an important pioneer in the development of video art. She explored the formal qualities of video, often staging performance artworks with the city as a framing environment. She regularly cast fellow artists as performers, or else collaborated with them to film the works. Sculpture and drawing have also been critical to her oeuvre, forming part of a continuum with her time-based performances and video art.
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