Curating Authenticity

'The Authentic Self' curated by The Cutting Room in collaboration with Digital Broadway

Tuesday 23rd November 

Under the name 'The Cutting Room' Clare Harris and Jennifer Ross, both recent graduates of Nottingham Trent University, have put together an ambitious programme of screenings and performance at the Nottingham Playhouse. A fourth event at the Broadway Cinema in collaboration with Digital Broadway, 'The Authentic Self', continued the pairs curatorial investigation into notions of authenticity and identity through showcasing artists both established and emerging working in film. Featuring international talent as well as national and local stars the roster for the screening was truly impressive. 

'The Authentic Self' was comprised of a short-film screening and panel discussion. The curators intention was to 'present a series of short films exploring questions about our own personal and collective identities'. Posing the questions, 'Is it possible to be truly authentic? Does an authentic self exist?' Artists showcased included David Shrigley, Oriana Fox, Hetain Patel, Chambers Judd, Jon Burgerman, Multitouch Barcelona, Liam Aitken and both of the curators. 

A major draw for audiences was the exclusive look at David Blandy's new film 'Child of the Atom' and the expectation of a discussion which would give an insight into how pop culture feeds in to his practice. 'Child of the Atom' filmed in Hiroshima, recounts a familial myth that the atomic bombing of this Japanese city allowed Blandy's grandfather to survive his time as a Prisoner of War and continue the family line so that both the artist himself and now his young daughter could exist. The film features a fictional monologue from the point of view of his daughter, in the film a toddler voiced by a young adult, who narrates the footage of their journey through modern day Hiroshima. The contrast between the horror of the atomic bombing and the everyday scenes shown in the film, along with the narrative which tried to relate the survival of a few to the massacre of thousands was powerful. However, problematically there can be an inescapable cheesiness to Blandy's use of pop cultural conventions, which was exemplified by his casting of himself in the role of a hero figure in sequences of apocalyptic anime. The insertion of Blandy's manga alter-ego was a distraction from a thoughtful reflection on the construction of identity based on family mythologies that showed a new maturity to his practice. 

'Child of the Atom' was the last and longest film, prior to this a varied selection of films were screened, some more than others relating to the notion of an authentic self. For me there was a mixture of highly engaging examinations of notions of how identity is constructed and films which jarred due to their varying technical and conceptual accomplishment. I would particularly like to mention Oriana Fox's '3into1' and Hetain Patel's 'Dance Like Your Dad' funny and insightful films, which deconstructed their identity through examining family relationship, using inventive re-enactments of their parents characters. The inclusion of both David Shrigley's 'Who I Am and What I Want' and Chambers Judd's 'Bruce' animations gave an alternative take on the Authentic Self which were humorous and disturbing in equal measure. I felt that the screening could have been streamlined to included fewer works which more directly addressed the theme as some, like Jon Burgerman's 'SketchKnots', a number of irreverent interjections into the screening, were discordant with the programme.  

The discussion panel chaired by Joanne Lee, Senior Lecturer in Fine Art, NTU which followed the screening began with a Q&A with David Blandy and then opened up to include Paul Gladston, Associate Professor of Critical Theory and Visual Culture, University of Nottingham in a wider analysis of the theme. My expectation was that the unwieldy notion of an authentic self would be approached through the films shown, on the contrary I was surprised to find that the differing views on identity that the artists put forward were pushed to the side for a more freewheeling debate about the impossibility of a true self. Lost in this dismissal was how many of the short films explored the place of culture, both in terms of the wider popular culture and in some the more focused family environment, as it feeds into the construction of identity. As this is central to Blandy's practice I felt that the comparatively very small segment of the discussion which was given over to an examination of how this was evident in Blandy and other artists' films was a real loss to the audience.  

An overpowering argument from a panel guest is a hazard of live debate, however, I cannot help but think that the presence of Paul Gladston was intended to give gravitas to the discussion which the curators feared would be too light for their title. Unfortunately, this move, which could show a lack of confidence in the ability of the artists' films to frame an engaging debate, left little room for contributions from the rest of the panel or the audience. Gladston seemed entirely closed to a critical engagement with the screening, wanting only to extoll his personal views. The event for me would have been improved by the curators taking a more authoritative control of both the introduction of the series of shorts and the panel discussion.  

I am concerned that a major stumbling block for the audiences' engagement with the discussion was that 'The Authentic Self' was not enough of a curatorial framing without a more nuanced explanation from The Cutting Room. The central themes, drawn from overlaps between two filmmakers' practices, which explore the construction of identity through our culture, the limitations of communication, and seeking to reveal a true self behind a composed social face, are a strong basis for curatorial investigation. I would like to see The Cutting Room steer their future events by being more vocal about their curatorial decisions beyond the naming of their events. 

The Cutting Room admirably aim to provide new opportunities for filmmakers and performers allowing the artists they work with the freedom to go beyond the superficial to 'communicate authentically'.  A strength of the curators is that their ambition is evident in all of their projects, not only in the calibre of the artists that they invited to take part but also in tackling subjects that interrogate a complex context taking in philosophical questions that have the potential to equally engage and challenge their audience. I am keen to follow the development of The Cutting Room both as individual artists and curators. In particular I am looking forward to their upcoming event which will focus on the artist Oriana Fox, a highlight of The Authentic Self, planned for April 2011, where Fox will premiere her new film 'Improve Your Self Image' at Broadway Cinema. 

http://www.the-cutting-room.org/