‘Our Potential Allies’ is an intuitive and ironic critique of Eurocentric belief-systems founded upon the dichotomy of self (the West) and the Other. Callas appears on the left monitor in black and white facial paint – the so-called ‘mask of primitivism’ – while compressed news imagery appears upon the right. Facial gestures are enacted by the artist seemingly in response to the voice-over (instructions issued by General Douglas MacArthur to American soldiers fighting in Papua New Guinea during the Second World War) or to imagery on the right monitor. Questions of intent – a constant theme throughout Callas’ career – are thus raised in relation to the creation of apparently random meaning.
Notes by Rachel Kent, reprinted courtesy of the author and d/Lux Media Arts.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Previously on display
22 April 2019
ACMI Viewing Booths
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
B2001497
Language
English
Audience classification
Mediatheque - all ages (ACMI classified)
Subject categories
Crafts & Visual Arts → Art, Modern - 20th century - Australia
Crafts & Visual Arts → Video art
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Object Types
Artwork
Materials
Single channel moving image, colour and audio
Holdings
MOV file H264; ACMI Digital Access Copy - presentation