Jeanne C. Finley1998

Re-thinking the documentary through an experimental aesthetic, media artist Jeanne C. Finley rigorously sandwiches evocative visual imagery and lively debate. From her earliest tiny sardonic tales, to her reconstructions of educational film footage from the '50's, and her latest full-length triptych, she consistently and poetically illuminates the tension between personal experience and the social and cultural conditions that both shape and defy identity. Whether she's working with document or fantasy, in single channel video, radio programs, web site or installation, Finley most wittily critiques the roots of power.

 

"I'm fascinated by the conflict between the document and the documented, fiction and representation, the frailty, power and elusiveness of relationships and sentiment, and the absurd authenticity of being alive. These issues have haunted all of my work as it has moved between experimental narratives and more traditional documentary forms. Since the birth of my daughter I'm once again compelled by tragic/comic narratives. I find that the craft of story-telling through image, text, sound and silence is most riveting when the expectation of the narrative collides with form, creating a unique moment for reflection, rage or mystery."