…underground stars combined the grandiosity of B-movie screen stardom, the emotional intimacy of an encounter group, the scale of opera, and the rawness of documentary. The new stars were “real,” not hidden behind the protective veneer of acting out a character created by someone else.

Steven Watson

Warhol MOOC

This week’s Warhol MOOC activity is to create a new Warhol-like work. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to finally do another Screen Test.

Screen Test #1, #2, #3, #4 were in 1965 & 1966. I haven’t done one in 48 years now. The great thing about a Twitter Resurrection is that you can mouth off once more. But it’s an incorporeal resurrection. All text and no body. So here’s my new avatar body, and my first Screen Test in 48 years. I can’t tell you how great it is to be back. I really hope to do things a lot better this time around. Thank you so much for watching! I love you!

Edie Sedgwick, Screen Test #5

Edie Sedgwick, Screen Test #5, 2014

• Edie Sedgwick / Actor – Director
• Isabella Medici / Production Designer
• Jerri Johnsky / Director of Photography
• Jeffrey Beach / Visual Effects
• Papa Zulu / Composer
• Sack Jo / Vocalist
• Eloh Eliot / Makeup
• Sunday Lemon / Hair

Peer Review

Text submitted to Warhol MOOC for Peer Review of this work:

My Reperformance of Edie Sedgwick’s Screen Test

1. I have chosen to reperform Edie Sedgwick’s iconic Screen Test from 1965. IMDB lists 4 Edie Sedgwick Screen Tests between 1965 & 1966, so I have titled this work Edie Sedgwick, Screen Test #5, 2014 The link above includes both a video and a still image of my Screen Test.

2. The original screen tests used analogue 16mm black-and-white motion picture film. As Andy was so curious to explore many media and new media, I thought I would try to dance in an anachronistic void of old meets new. Therefore I’ve substituted an avatar body for a human body and recorded it with direct-to-video capture of a 3D virtual world. Yet I’ve maintained the aesthetic qualities of the original in the austerity of black-and-white and the durational aspects of a slow, sustained portrait that functions at a very non-Hollywood cadence.

3. We speak of repetition most commonly in Andy’s paintings and prints where we see many repeated Elvis paintings or many variations of Marilyn screenprints. The analog of repetition in the 2D work is the durational nature found in his temporal works. In 2D it’s image-image-image, in 4D it’s stillness-stillness-stillness. For me the black-and-white is essential. I love color in painting, but in film & photography it seems like too much baggage. I find B&W reveals more. Lets us see, linger, and explore more.

Update, May 19:

I received some lovely peer evaluation from 3 of my classmates:

Please write three short sentences of evaluation feedback. In sentence 1, you should comment on the student’s choice of material to appropriate. In sentence 2, you should comment on the use of cropping, repetition, and colour. Use sentence 3 to highlight strengths of the submission, as well as ways in which it could be improved. Please do not write more than 200 words.

peer 1 →

How can I possibly write the required 50 words for this assessment? Does bravo, bravo, bravo 50 times work? This is my favorite by far of works submitted for the assignment. As to your choice of material, congrats for tackling a video. I loved your use of the Edie avatar. The eyes worked! Pretty sure Andy would have loved this one.

peer 2 →

Impressive work! loved it, choice of material more than appropriate, excellent idea mixing the past and present In this case every choice was dead on, but of course, it was Warhols choice all the way, except for going digital of course Its always risky borrowing another artists work to make your own, when i read your ideas at first i thought “oh boy, here we go”, but was really surprised and glad to see what i saw, excellent work, wouldn’t change a thing

peer 3 →

I love your choice of Edie. You certainly achieved a similar feeling and mood with your use of black and white, the music, but it was also different. The avatar gave it a “machine” feeling. It was more plastic, more removed from reality. Andy would approve. I’m not sure how it could have been improved; maybe a slight twist of the face away from a direct gaze into the camera?