isa gordon

interactive multimedia installation, dimensions variable
1997/1999

This playful exploration of gender and sexuality stereotypes begins in a curtained, dark room suggestive of a peep show, where the viewer is confronted by vintage conceptions of mainstream sexuality and an arcade-style game booth. The walls are plastered with posters incorporating classic pin-up models and text that evokes the crass and narrow-minded objectification inherent in the promotion of “idealized” sexual desire. Small video screens present a montage of titillating imagery drawn from early stag-films and other vintage peep-show material, each segment chosen for its tame qualities and adherence to the most culturally acceptable modes of sexuality. A stereotypical pornography soundscape of heavy breathing and exaggerated moans subtly permeates the installation space. These displays of sexually charged imagery, restrained so clearly by the bounds of social norms, occupy the viewer while they await their turn and create a contrast for the experience inside the arcade booth. Within the game, the viewer takes a mock “test” intended to cast suspicion on notions of fixed positions and narrow spectrums with regard to individual gender roles and sexual identities.

credits:
Isa Gordon: Concept, interactive game programming, electronics hacking, installation design, video and print media
John-Paul Robinson: Arcade fabrication and game hardware (1997)
George Pawl: Arcade fabrication (1999)
DEvan Brown: Game hardware (1999)