Desperado
Desperado, 1998
Single-channel video
Dimensions Variable
Duration: 03:45
Naming can be a ploy used in constructing an image. Early in his film career, American icon John Wayne swapped his effeminate name -Marion Morrison- for the tough-sounding trade name that would lend credence to his gun-toting taming of the American West. Wayne’s screen persona was one that enhanced the proviso of Manifest Destiny-enabling the actual and cinematic distortion of American –and by turns- gendered narratives. The idea of Wayne’s ‘Morrison” as a transgendered doppelganger allows the piece to operate on multiple levels that bow to gender identity, pop culture, and the artist’s identification with the actor/icon Wayne as he entertains the terrain of power and sexuality.
Made with the support of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs, and Artist’s Space, New York, NY
Screenings and Festivals:
The Mix Festival, New York, NY
The Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, New York, NY
The 2000 Whitney Biennale
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
California College of Arts and crafts, Oakland, CA
Interdisciplinary Festival for Music and Art; Vienna, Austria
Views of Alternative Cinema, Nicosia, Cyprus