Bitch Slap Joni Mitchell
This mini press release is going to show you how much of a flake I can be. A group show I am in at the Mendel Art Gallery here in Saskatoon will have it’s opening on January 19th, at 7pm. I will be showing an as yet unnamed video installation work which textually poaches the Miracle Worker bitch slap scene and through the use of an experimental soundscape and text discusses abuse towards the disabled masquerading in the guise of treatment. I do not remember the group shows name, but my friend Megan Morman is also in it. Megan, what is the name? Adrian Stimson is the curator. I may buy contact lenses with my artist fee. The Mendel often has crowd overload at their openings, so if you can’t find me go look under the banana tree in the conservatory. I drink Corona. My other friend Rebecca Belmore is having an opening then as well from some of her work in the collection. I have no idea if she will be attending.
It’s eerie timing, I’ve been working on this video for three months and then this whole Ashley thing exploded.
By the way, if anyone has found Joni Mitchell’s face please bring it with you.
Your video sounds fascinating. Have you read Georgina Kleege’s book “Blind Rage: Letters to Helen Keller”? It looks at how the story of the Miracle Worker distorts Helen’s story, and tells it, of course, with Helen being the miracle that is worked.
Good luck with the showing.
Thanks Blue, I might put part of it on Youtube so I can post it here. I’m going to have to read that book. I’ve often wondered how the Miracle Worker narrative would have been different if it was told in Helen’s voice. She did write an autobiography after all, so we knew what she went through.