Elizabeth Axtman

Axtman on the cover of the catalog for "Cinema Remixed & Reloaded".

Elizabeth Axtman lives and works in the California Bay Area. Born in 1980, she completed her BFA at San Francisco State University in 2004 and an MFA at The Art Institute of Chicago in 2006. Her videos have been included in important exhibitions such as Black Is, Black Ain’t at The Renaissance Society (Chicago, IL); Cinema Remixed & Reloaded: Black Women Artists and the Moving Image Since 1970at Spellman College (Atlanta, GA); Bare Walls, No Boundaries at the Wadsworth Antheneum (Hartford, CT); and Of Color at Rush Arts Gallery (NYC), which opens today. Her video “Where’s the Party At?” (also on view at Rush Arts) will screen at Harvestworks on Wednesday, September 24th between 7-9pm.

She writes for NSFO:

I began working in video when my relationship with photography seemed to be breaking down. I can’t recall how I decided to use video or where I came up with the idea to make my first–all of a sudden it, or I, was just there. I think I go through intense phases with a medium and then I just want a divorce. I actually consider myself a performance artist. However, ideas usually form in my mind with the video first, that is, behind the camera instead of in front of it. Video allows me to be a performance artist without ever actually performing for anyone, as they are created either in solitude or with a very, very small crew.

"Expletives Owed"

When I’m not the performer, I remix time-based imagery from pop culture. I turn into this mad scientist who puts things back together. In Expletives Owed (2008), the sister of a Jeffrey Dahmer victim begins to scream at the serial killer during the family testimonials. With the aide of Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, and Bernie Mac, I return her media censored curse words. Video helps me put things back where I believe they belong.

"Where's the Party At?"

The work showing in the video festival is Where’s the Party At? (2006). I dance around a burning cross in an all white Adidas track suit with matching Kangol hat to a song of the same title by Jagged Edge. This video was created during my summer at the Skowhegan Artist Residency in Maine. I knew going into the residency that I wanted to work on a piece about the Klan since Maine was the first state to hold an outdoor Klan rally. I thought of a bunch of different things I could do, but the idea wasn’t fully fleshed out until we had our first big bonfire. I thought it was beautiful and at that very moment, I said aloud “I wonder if they would let me burn a cross up here.” I asked thinking I would be instantly rejected, but I was met with a “sure”.

The piece itself is a satirical approach to the idea of “wholeness” [or purity] and who has the right to claim such a thing. It’s an exercise in the ridiculous, and about claiming a heritage that belongs to me by birthright even though it is on both sides of the burning cross. I will be showing up to the party regardless. One might even say, “crashin’ it”.