Work

The Girl Chewing Gum, John Smith, UK, Black and White, 12 minutes, 1976

The Girl Chewing Gum

‘In The Girl Chewing Gum an authoritative voice-over pre-empts the events occurring in the image, seeming to order not only the people, cars and moving objects within the screen but also the actual camera movements operated on the street in view. In relinquishing the more subtle use of voice-over in television documentary, the film draws attention to the control and directional function of that practice: imposing, judging, creating an imaginary scene from a visual trace…….’ – Michael Maziere, John Smith’s Films: Reading the Visible’ Undercut 10/11.

Details

Project Transforms
Artists John Smith
Year 1976
Origin UK
Duration 12 min