This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Dec. 26, 2012 - New York City is at the St. Louis Art Museum. And it is being shown as you’ve never seen it before. Calming and peaceful are descriptions associated more often with rural settings than the city streets of bustling New York. Yet, British born video artist James Nares manages to put viewers into a time-slowing trance through his 61 minute film Street.
Slowed down to a prayerful dance of life, children’s movements have magic. Whenever shown, the kids appear to be the only things moving. Why? Because children spring fast and flurrious, clearly working in a different time field than the heavy-footed adults who take an eternity just to shift expressions. A skipping child, when seen at this magical pace, is caught completely above the ground, both feet in air, hovering for a while, in childtime.
Birds are miraculous, too. When everything is slowed, they are still so much faster than all that surrounds them. The wings’ movements become 100 points of action.
Small actions are made momentous – a raised arm, a wave, two hands joining, a laugh – each motion is drawn out and made potently significant.
Nares’ camera follows busy city streets with little break. The film is a constant progression of nearly every sort of person, engaged in just about every mundane street activity. The scene moves on and on from left to right, one close-up view of humanity after another. The uninterrupted viewing is so intense that the few long-reaching city views – down streets toward sky – are a respite for the eye.
The accompanying music perfectly frames the experience, pulling it further outside of normal experience. Thurston Moore (of Sonic Youth) plays guitar in minor keys, with odd pacing. The sound seems inspired by multicultural roots that mirror the world represented by the New York pedestrians. At times it is, like the images, too much, so that tonal shifts offer release from the tightly wound notes that went on just a bit too long for comfort.
Nares’ video shows on a constant loop in the SLAM media room gallery. Go up the stairs when you enter the building and follow the music. Make yourself comfortable on the couch or the floor and stay for a long slow while. Do stay. There are visual treasures hidden throughout. A mere quick glimpse will not be enough to bring you into the video’s intended meditative trance.