State of Things

"The more things change, the more they stay the same." Or, so they tell us. This collection of short videos covers some ground between nuclear proliferation, corruption, dangers of war, disaster, and the commonplace pollution of our own spaces.

Kill for Peace — 6:58 min, 1979. Built on a montage of found media clips from a variety of sources warning about many things nuclear.

Bomb Shelter — 8:44 min, 1980. Takes us on a tour of a concrete atomic bomb fallout shelter built beneath a 1760's New England farmhouse. We learn about the construction, air intake system, food, tranquilizing supplies and amusements all planned for an extended stay if a nuclear attack came, and if Boston was a target.

Flags: Post 9/11 — 5:59 min, 2003. A remembrance of the flag mania that overwhelmed the United States after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Even more than a year after the event, the flags were flying and sentiments ran high. This is a collection of local images and memories that bring the patriotic fervor back in full force.

Waste, Fraud and Abuse — 2:00 min, 2015. Starts with a collection I made of scam emails and attempts to steal money online, and encompasses historical, corporate, individual and official attempts to corrupt or rob us blind. Features a performance by Linda Mary Montano, reading from the scam emails.

Paper or Plastic — 3:49 min, 2015. "Paper or plastic" used to be the daily question at the check-out counter when food shopping. This refrain sparked me to consider plastic or paper in our daily lives and the waste that surrounds us. It's part of a long-standing and continuing concern with waste and things discarded that is reflected in my media work over the last 50 years.