Edgar Arcenaux

by Arceneaux, Edgar

• ISBN13: 9780945323112
• ISBN10: 0945323115
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-04-01
• Publisher: Whitewalls Inc

Summary

Edgar Arceneaux: The Alchemy of Comedy . . . Stupiddocuments a multi-channel installation by contemporary video artist Edgar Arceneaux. Centered on video footage of popular comedian David Alan Grier, the artwork examines the nuances and structures of comedy routines, jokes, and humor itself. Arceneaux shot footage of Grier over the course of a week performing at three sites in Chicago; the resulting artwork calls into question the relationship between performer and audience, comedy and comedian, and laughter and pathos. Alongside stills from the video, the book presents facsimile reproductions of pages from a notebook kept by Arceneaux during the production of the work, as well as transcripts of some of Grier's routines; together, the materials offer a revealing look into the formative processes of both comedy and art.

Author Biography

Edgar Arceneaux has exhibited his artwork at many museums and galleries, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Kunstwerke in Berlin, and the Studio Museum in New York.

Table of Contents

Foreword: Edgar Arceneaux in Chicago	p. 3
Fatherhood is Purely Biological	p. 15
Notebook: The Alchemy of Comedy...Stupid	p. 33
Joke Transcriptions
Retarded Kids and Cancer	p. 38
Brown Tattoo	p. 46
Fatherhood is Biological	p. 86
Dad's Cripple Van	p. 87
Credits	p. 94
Color Plates	p. 95
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