Paula Stuttman

Excerpt from Rotten Representations: A Life of Her Own
(2023)
in progress

An exploration of disability representation in the 1950 move A Life of Her Own starring Lana Turner and directed by George Cukor. The blurb is self- explanatory.

body parts_
2020
2:26 min.

body parts_ is a riff on the children’s game “head, shoulders, knees and toes.” This video uses images that were made with paint, ink, pencil on paper. The images depict body parts including those named in the song and
those that are omitted. The changing images move at a fast pace. The palette is limited to red, black and the white of the paper. At random points there is a break from the imagery through the use of a red painterly void. As the work progresses – the image of a named part (head, shoulders, knees or toes) aligns with the audio.

The Disappearance
2020
3:33 min.

The Disappearance is a narrative on disappearing.

Image description is incorporated in the work.

Modern Art
2021
1:25 min.

Modern Art was made using images, my voice and text that is based on a museum tour of modern art. It is drawn from my experience as a museum educator. Sometimes we are off site even when the body is physically present. This work is based on assumptions – the tone of voice we expect from experts, the throw away lines we use to convey knowledge and what we expect to see based on what we hear.

The work uses images that were made with paint, ink, pencil on paper. The changing images move at a fast pace. They depict figures engaged in sex or other forms of intimacy. The work uses primary colors plus purple, green, brown and black on white paper. Figures are yellow and defined by black lines. They often disintegrate into the paint marks that entangle them.