The Red Tapes - Response

-What are the different voices that Acconci uses when speaking in the work and to what means? What characters does he embody/perform? 

Throughout the piece, Acconci varies his voice between three different personas: a frantic, disjointed voice that rattles off snippets and words that connect to one another, a narrative voice who remains fairly monotonous (and disembodied, along with the previously mentioned frantic voice), and the reflective voice that is used when Acconci himself makes an appearance in the performance. The first voice spews out an exhaustive stream of connected, singular words, and seems to be a vocal representation of the unconscious thoughts of the character in the performance, being said as they are felt and perceived by the brain. The second voice relays a poetic, but similarly disjointed story in a very narrative-driven way. Sometimes this voice accompanies visuals, and sometimes it speaks against a blank screen. It remains emotionless, and seems to almost tell the story from a different perspective, especially compared to the first voice. This voice includes the use of sound effects, but they remain similarly monotonous, giving them an uncanny feeling. The third voice appears when Acconci acts in the performance, and though it seems somewhat similar to the second voice in content, there is a deeply personal connotation to everything said then. Acconci seems to embody that of the "outsider" character in general, the description of the video mentioning revolutionary, artist, and prisoner. He plays the role of those "different" folk, and their perceptions of the events and of the world accordingly.

- Locate instances of nationalism as well as lone individuality in the work. What do references to nationalism “do” or emphasize with respect to our understanding of the story.











There are frequent visuals that allude to the idea of nationalism, such as maps and an American flag. And Acconci's dialogue and narrative speak of a variety of capitalist and industrial themes, such as his, in very basic sense, reference to automobiles and his lamenting of the confinement he feels from his existence in this country. The many allusions to war and death and the hints of revolution are also highly nationalistic themes, speaking in terms of personal response to the aftermath of a war. The phrases of "no country" and "we the people" make this a singularly American piece. As Acconci is supposed to be representative of an "outsider" figure, he presents the events and developments of the world, from industry, to political assassinations, in a sort of detached way. His character feels overwhelmed by the world. In a way, these references to American nationalism make this something of a relatable performance, and entices the viewer/listener to pick out recognizable events or emotions from his narrative. And the idea of the "outsider" in a political, nationalistic environment further conveys the thought of people who go against the norms of the society. Prisoners, revolutionaries, and artists are frequently known as those who are against the so-called social norm of their culture.

- How do the formal strategies (the look and how different elements are put together) of video, still  photos, painting, film, and performance contribute to the content of the work? Provide specific examples. 

Although the narrative included in the piece seems to have quite a few emotions being conveyed, the visuals that accompany it are very serene and some seem to have little connection to the words being spoken at the time. The talk of strokes, which seems to be in relation to painting and art, imposed over the images of a progressively aging man, appear to be unrelated to one another. The talk of war while visuals of maps and landscapes are being presented make the subject of the narrative more apparent. And the blatant use of American symbols quite obviously direct this as a criticism of the political and social situations of this country. Though at times Acconci's narrative gets rapid-fire at times, overall his words are fairly emotionless and betray little of the heaviness of what he speaks of. It evokes the feeling that these are the private musings of someone, and the tone betrays a sense of isolation and loneliness. This is matched by the typically empty shots of pictures and paintings of  landscapes and buildings. 

- How do you ultimately understand the narrative or story of this work? Please describe.

There is definitely a story to the work as a whole, but it seems disjointed and taken out of context, what he describes. This looseness relates it to a person's subconscious thoughts, and gives the performance a very primal, emotional feeling, despite the fact that words are used more than the sound effects. I interpret it as the musings of someone witnessing events as they happen over time, and trying to understand what results from existing in an ultra nationalistic, capitalist society. They witness war and death and feel the isolation that comes from living on the fringes of society.