Lifeworks: Delicate BoundariesJUNE 24, 2003
How close do you want to be?
How far apart do you want to be?” These are some of the vocal mus- ings of Vancouver artist Kate Craig in her 12-and-a-half-minute video, Delicate Issue. This work was on view March 27-June 1 at the Ottawa Art Gallery as part of Shifts and Transfers, an exhibition of 22 video-based works by 18 Canadian artists. Curator Nicole Gingras states in the exhibition catalogue that these works were selected for their examination of the “suspension of activity required for observation.”1 Using the medium of time, they slow down our seeing to re- mind us of the minute experiences that channel memory and thus identity. Gingras reinforced this exhibition expe- rience by installing the works as alcoves of private places carved into the public spaces of the gallery.
Kate Craig’s Delicate Issue, the subject of this review, was created in 1979 when video was a relatively new medium for artists. It is recognized by many video historians as a seminal work and remains at the forefront of contemporary aes- thetic discussion on personal identity and social perception. Craig’s video opens with the question, “What is the developing line between the public and the private?” The camera, held by her husband, Hank Bull, zooms in on her body, magnifying, for example, hairs and skin pores, which become abstract and nameless. All the while, the artist’s inti- mate tone of voice, in unison with the soft camera movements, poses questions about personal boundaries and seeing.
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