New York Ghetto Fishmarket 1903

2006, 132 min, b&w, sound

WARNING: This work contains throbbing light. Should not be viewed by individuals with epilepsy or seizure disorders.

In New York Ghetto Fish Market 1903, Jacobs uses archival film footage of New York's Lower East Side as his source material. The vintage film, shot by Thomas Edison in 1903, documents immigrant Eastern European Jews at a crowded marketplace. Digitally manipulating the original film, Jacobs crafts a performative, improvisational investigation; he focuses on individuals, slows down and reverses the footage, and creates illusions of three-dimensionality through stroboscopic effects evocative of his Nervous System performances. Jacobs considers the social and cultural context of the original film, as well as the materiality of film as a medium.

Production, Image and Sound Organization: Ken Jacobs. Cello: Tom Cora. Voice, Toy Instruments, Electronics: Catherine Jauniaux.

 
 

WARNING: This work contains throbbing light. Should not be viewed by individuals with epilepsy or seizure disorders.