Snake

1974, 10:43 min, b&w, sound

Snake is a ritualistic study in which Palestine uses his body as an instrument for generating sound and movement. He lies in a fetal position on the floor, his body framed by two receding lines. With each breath, he begins to drone and slowly turn in a circle. The sounds change as he rotates, until he slowly unfolds his body and reaches his original position in the circle. Producing sound in a trance-like state, and then visually translating those sounds to images, Palestine creates a body art exercise in which his voice functions as a source of movement — a strategy that references the role of chants and sound in religious and spiritual traditions.