isa gordon

interactive mixed media installation, 4’ x 2′ x 2′
1999

Viewers are invited to explore the notion of technologically-enhanced constructions of “self” in a science lab context. The artist offers up her identity as a specimen to be examined from an usual meta-perspective.

Participants use one microscope to view a strip of super8 film depicting a collection of family snapshots. A crank-operated mechanism allows them to scroll through the film frames under the lens of a binocular dissection scope with multiple magnifications. At the lowest magnifications an image is clearly visible but under greater scrutiny the image degrades into impressionistic blobs of film grain.

Under the other microscope, 10 different prepared slides can be examined. Each slide is a miniature collage containing image frames from super8 movies (old home movies, recursive self-portrait frames, and meta-film showing the snapshot collection); an element of the body (hair, skin, nails, etc.); a bit of relevant poetic text printed in 2 point font onto fine art paper; and a common disclaimer or instruction printed to microfiche.