Constant, 2004, single channel digital video, Duration: 08:40
About the work
The subject in Constant engages us by staring at the camera, the gaze is fixed and un-blinking. As we watch, we witness the creation of 13,000 new faces yet this slips by us virtually unnoticed.
The work came from my interpretation of conversations held with Dr Richard Kemp and Helen Patterson from the Forensic Psychology Department at the University of New South Wales. The aim of the project was to study the problem of wrongful imprisonment, through inaccurate selection of suspects in a line up environment. Within such situations there is strong pressure on the witness to identify the SUSPECT – that is the person the police THINK is guilty – whilst they may not be so. Studies have shown that we tend to be better at recognising members of our own racial group and will often confuse members of other racial groups. This makes suspect recognition problematic in crimes where the witness /victim is of a different race to the perpetrator. This pressure for resolution can lead to cases of wrongful imprisonment, particularly in situations where the perpetrator is of a different racial background to that of the victim. The morphing process provides fluidity in the displaying of potential suspects.
There was a fascination in creating a work that was influenced by the spectre of guilt and recognition as a process leading to incrimination. It subtly plays with the conventions of portraiture and its reference to captivity.
Constant, through its subtle perpetual transformation, ultimately demands an analytical observation from the viewer.
In doing so it is the viewer who becomes the constant presence before a linear, singular crowd of 13,000 fleeting identities, hence it is the viewer who becomes momentarily and symbolically captured.
Credits
The residency was funded by the New Media Arts board of the Australia Council for the Arts. Thank you to: Dr Richard Kemp, Helen Patterson and the Forensic Psychology Department at the University of New South Wales. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
About the artist
Born 1970 MOKA Mauritius
Lives & works Sydney
Beaubois’ works have been exhibited internationally, most notably winning the 1998 Bonn Videonale (Germany), and receiving the Judges special prize for the Mediunkunst preis 2001, ZKM (Germany). Recently his work has been exhibited at SCAPE 2006 Biennial of Art in Public Space, New Zealand, Glass Kulture Koldo Mitxelena in San Sebastian, Spain, Youkobo Art Space Tokyo, Rencontres internationale Paris Berlin, The Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei and Wood St Galleries, Pittsburgh USA.
He was a member of performance ensemble Gravity Feed and the Post Arrivalists and has also performed with Gekidan Kaitaisha in the Drifting View X in Tokyo.
He is completing an MFA in Time based Arts at COFA, where he also lectures casually.
Exhibition catalogue