Jennifer West

Golden Conversion

March 16 – April 28, 2018

In a time when communication is expressed through character gestures, as opposed to written language, emoji are intended to illustrate, or in some cases replace altogether, the words we send each other digitally, whether in a text message, email, or tweet. Quick, gestural, and disposable these icons exist as a digital index. One would hardly think of film as a medium to counteract and deconstruct this language.

Los Angeles artist Jennifer West has been making experimental films consistently since 2004. West is known for her digitized films that are made by hand manipulating film celluloid through performative and conceptual practices. For this exhibition West creates a massive film wall composed of manipulated 70mm filmstrips, these patterned sections are slashed, stapled, caked with cat litter and salt, marked with inks, dyes, spray paint and white-out. In addition, small emoji and words populate sections within the film frames, making horizontal, vertical or diagonal lines.

Also included in the exhibition is a new 35mm film, which West refers to as a “historical document” compiled from Google image search results for emoji. This film, shot initially in 2014, was placed in large kombucha jars filled with urine. West collected the liquid from artists and friends within her community, which she used to soak and corrode the celluloid, slowly eating away at the films emulsion. The film was then transferred to digitized HD video.