130919 • A PORTRAIT OF MARINA ABRAMOVIC

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Artist Matthew Placek’s debut work in his series of 3D video portraits. The moving portraits extend Placek’s ongoing pursuit to immortalize his subjects’ past, present, and future in a single composition. Shot in one take and without dialogue, these short films offer rare, uninterrupted moments with artists as they interact with surroundings meaningful to each of them. 3D cinematography enhances the intimacy of the vignettes, further collapsing the space between the viewer and the subjects’ essential natures. At the core of Placek’s artistic practice is a considered admiration for his sitters.

In a culture where attention spans are short and the cell phone portrait is pervasive, Placek cultivates a moment with the sitter that lasts longer than a glance. 3D cinematography offers a means to further break down barriers between camera, viewer, and subject. The painstaking preparation and detail the process requires is felt in the intimacy of the final composition. In the absence of cuts, these one take videos encourage uninterrupted concentration from both viewer and subject, opening up the possibility for a deeper connection.

In 130919 • A Portrait of Marina Abramovic , Placek forges an honest depiction of the artist’s creative and emotional energy. For this piece and throughout the series, Placek’s close personal relationship with his subjects and their work inform the authenticity of the moving portraits. Placek sets Abramovic in the center of an expansive, crumbling room that will become the Marina Abramovic Institute, a space serving as the performance artist’s legacy. Both are exposed, strong, and marked with history. As the camera pans out, figure and environment fuse, invoking the arc of the artist’s life, her transitional state, and the promise of renewal.

Placek commissioned an original score based upon an ancient Greek song, translated and recorded by Serbian sing er Svetlana Spajic and arranged by music producer Thomas Bartlett that recalls the cycle of birth, maturity, decay, and rebirth.

This work was made possible by the generous support of The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, The National YoungArts Foundation, The Knight Foundation and Executive Producers VISIONAIRE Film.