Book of Lenny

I recently saw Jonathan Marshall's work at AMOA, a video with accompanying installation called the 'Book of Lenny' a chronicle of one survivor of a fictionalized apocalyptic-scale weather phenomenon called El Nada. Lenny the protagonist, builds among other things, this cycle-boat. It's a converted Schwinn Varsity married to a floorbase of salvaged fenceplanks on top of pontoons. Attention to detail is in no small supply: for example, rudder functions are taken into consideration, by connecting guidewires to the bike's front fork.

The amazing thing about this cycle-boat is that it is not all fiction. From the video, we see that it actually functions on water.



There is a certain way in which the contemporary cycling community values itself as a DIY bastion. "If the shit hit the fan, we could fix things ourselves." Or at least we could fix our bikes ourselves. If everything ran on bike principles then we could fix everything. The bike rider and the survivalist are not so distinct in society, Marshall brings attention to that connection through his fiction.

NAT23 @Arthouse TX

Last week i went to Arthouse to see their New American Talent show juried by Nato Thompson. It was a pretty good smattering of what one might expect to find in a contemporary art show.

What stuck out for me was the video above by Susan Lee-Chun entitled "Will You Tell Me All Your Ancient Chinese Secrets." What is obvious from the start is that this person is young. What Ancient secrets could she have to share? As it turns out, she has none.

In fact through a series of one-line questions we find that she is not even Chinese. We see her inquisition unfold with more and more discomfort as she is tortured by tickling every time she gives an unsatisfying answer to questions designed to glean added-value from her ethnicity. "Do you know where I can get good chinese food?" and every other question are evidently inspired by true events.

What is novel about Lee-Chun's video is not necessarily the realization that Asian-Americans often face subtle, ignorant, and humorous racism in America. Rather, what is useful here, is the apt reaction of her protagonist. Hers is a laughter uncontrolled, painful, without remit, leaving no chance for any other expression, speechless. Such is the exact reaction that so many ethnic-Americans must have when confronted with similar questions. Although i hope that i will not be violently tickled in my lifetime, a sly smile and an unwilling chuckle will always be the first reaction i have when asked, "How come you speak English so good?"