JOAN JONAS - SONGDELAY

Towards the end of the 1960s Joan Jonas (1936) was one of the first visual artists who applied herself to performance in order to explore our perception of time and space. She mainly analysed the interaction between the body and its transformation through media, space and reception. She often incorporated the intrinsic technical possibilities of film and video in her live actions. Songdelay is among her so-called ‘Outdoor Performances’: actions in wide,open landscapes or suburban areas.Making use of various lenses, a wide angle and a long-focus lens, she translated her performance Delay Delay to the film medium.The performance, with the participation of Gordon Matta-Clark, Steve Paxton and others, explores the effect of distance on perception. Jonas created a physical and mental separation between audience and performer – one static, passive, as designers of movement, the other an active part of the space. The distance does not merely causea visible flattening of space an da scale modification, but also a deceleration of sound signals.

1973, 18’35”, 16mm, b/w, sound.