And Yet, 2024, single-channel video with audio, 00:03:21.
A Sisyphean performance in five parts, And Yet elevates a simple gesture into something profound. A playful exercise of the resilient spirit, a tribute to the grind, a soothing meditation on finding difference in sameness, a celebration of knowing joy in routine, And Yet features a child’s toy spun five times against a background of slowly shifting fields of color. After each spin, the toy returns to its original starting position, only to have the process repeat itself again and again. With every successive spin, the background cycles through the visible spectrum of yellow, orange, red, violet, blue, indigo, and green (a reference to rainbows, pots of gold, wish fulfillment, and bliss) before finally fading to a pale pink pastel. The notes C A G E D ring out, playing forwards, then backwards. Rinse and repeat.
And Yet was originally conceived of in early 2023, shortly after the birth of my youngest daughter, a time in which I was overwhelmed by an ever-growing concern with how to impart meaningful values and a legacy of love in what often seems like a morally ambiguous and capricious world. The resulting video speaks to the importance of repeated acts of play in building a foundation of kindness and care. Love isn’t just a feeling. It’s a practice.
The structure of this video is informed by traditions of experimental film, performance for video, the cinematic essay, and ongoing research into the representation of irresolvability.