TV Moore Magick Without Tears

Magick Without Tears is a project that speaks of the very structure of video editing and manipulation. Continuing my interest in the outsider and the fusion of the real with the unreal, I chose the symbol of a Clown as a stand-in for a quiet discontent that represents the undercurrent of societal anarchism.

In times passed, clowns represented a freedom that was rarely granted in society, they could subvert authority and mock the rule of the day by blaspheming the very system in which they operated.

By setting up a single scene and recording it through the gaze of several cameras I am attempting to exploit reality and truth and expose these tropes as bizarre documented fact, just as the media represents images of truth, that are obviously distorted.

The strange rhythm of the melancholic and almost broken drumming, in tandem with the cuts become trance like, which is a dark salute to the very seductive and manipulative inner structures of commercial moving image culture.

...Just keep watching...

The drummer plays his instrument with nonchalance, a comedy / tragedy - taking place in an unfamiliar make-shift universe. Two realities are being reinforced here while an unorthodox performance unfolds.

TV Moore, artist statement, 2007

Information for students - issues / themes / art practice

In the video work Magick Without Tears a clown sits at a drum kit and beats a strange and disjointed rhythm. The clown is dressed in a suit with a bowler hat and white gloves. His face is white with painted tears. The clown does not seem to be performing for our benefit. He does not engage with the audience the way we might expect. There are no jokes or magic tricks. This is not a happy clown but rather a sad clown. Our initial response to this performance might be one of confusion or perhaps even frustration. It is almost as if we are watching the clown at a private moment whilst he has some kind of breakdown. Perhaps this is not a performance at all but a documentary?

The clown continues his half-hearted drumming and we could be forgiven for thinking the clown is in someway incapable or unable to play the drums. Then he suddenly bursts into a skilled and rhythmical drum beat. The clown can play! However, for some reason chooses not to at first. The camera angles change periodically emphasising certain moments with a close up or an overhead shot adding drama to the event. The stylised camera set-up suggests a television variety show or music video which contrasts strongly with the performance itself. The clown's burst of energy seems marked with a sense of purpose or hope. Then, just as it starts to look like a more conventional performance the clown begins to revert back to his initial half-hearted drumming. It is as if he has run out of energy, given up hope and has decided that his performance is futile. Again the clown's movements become jerky and puppet-like. He finally slows down and collapses on his drums as the video ends.

TV Moore works with film, video and theatrics. His practice engages in a variety of material influenced by the conventions found in cinema, television, experimental and underground film and theatre. TV Moore is also a musician and his works often use a musical soundtrack. Often this is composed and performed by Moore himself. With careful observation and some research we can find references in his work to other artists and art movements as well.

In Magick Without Tears the artist has used the character of the clown as a cryptic symbol. The audience must decipher this in order to generate deeper inquiry into the work. The clown is the most significant symbol in the work. Clowns have often been used in artworks and performances because of their powerful historical and emotional associations. TV Moore says of his use of the clown: In times past, clowns represented a freedom that was rarely granted in society, they could subvert authority and mock the rule of the day by blaspheming the very system in which they operated.

TV Moore's use of multiple camera angles and dramatic editing adds to the mystery of the art work. TV Moore has said that his performance videos use the techniques of mainstream media. His use of multiple cameras conveys the idea that the media can distort events taking place. The clown may be acting out of certain motivations or feelings but the cameras may try to create a different meaning through editing.

Critical reviews / Quotes

"He creates hypnotic digital video works by concentrating and intensifying a simple event. Through the use of slow motion, mirroring, doubling and long takes, Moore amplifies dimensions of time and space as well as those of tension and expectation. "
Amanda Rowell, 'TV Moore: Smoke n' Mirrors', Smoke N' Mirrors (Ex. Cat), Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces

Magick Without Tears is a project that speaks of the very structure of video editing and manipulation. Continuing my interest in the outsider and the fusion of the real with the unreal, I chose the symbol of a clown as a stand-in for a quiet discontent that represents the undercurrent of societal anarchism.

TV Moore, artist statement, 2007