This video is dark – visually and emotionally. And it is open to many interpretations, from the political to the personal to the philosophical. During the first part of the piece, we are witness to a scene of interrogation, as one character repeatedly, monotonously demands information from another. This section of the video may be seen as a reference to the questioning of political prisoners, with overtones of interminable examination and cross-examination. At a certain point in the video, however, a subtle shift in the dialogue occurs, and suddenly, the questions are being posed directly to us, the viewers. Now, we are being asked to relinquish information, to expose ourselves. In this sense, the video reflects the unfortunate loss of privacy that is characteristic of the post-9/11 world. At the very end of the video, there are changes in the previously established patterns. Sentences are chopped up, the pace increases, a staccato rhythm is established and the roles of questioner and person being questioned alternate erratically. Ultimately, this climatic phase of the piece suggests a complete breakdown of rational behavior and poses a very disturbing question: can people ever know the truth about themselves, about others, about anything?
Other
Completed in: 2005
0 x 0 inches
Near or in Croton on Hudson, NY / United States
artist: Marcy Freedman
The adopter, Robin Dunlap, writes:
Marcy graciously mailed me a copy of Tell Me, which I viewed immediately.
By the end of the video I was left with a feeling of what a prisoner or detainee might go through during interrogation.... on and on... without fail...the same questions over and over.
Tell Me feels like a visual response to unsettling societal feelings about war,
environmental destruction and extermination, global warming, global political tensions, and crime through out the world.
In addition to the video, my exchange with Marcy has been stimulating and rewarding. Thank you Marcy.
The artist, Marcy Freedman, writes:
I was pleased to learn of Robin's interest in this video, but I felt obliged to let Robin know (via email) that the work is quite dark, conceptually and rather depressing. After reading my description, Robin decided to proceed anyway.
Our email correspondence has been engaging, and I look forward to learning of Robin's reaction to the video, when it arrives in Florida.





