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Wipe off from Making Meaning on Vimeo.

The project above is inspired by the last scene in Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times, where Chaplin gestures to the Gamin to put on a smile and keep going. I felt that the physical act of putting on a smile is a means to set a state of mind. My first iteration was a performance where I began with a blank deadpan face and I wiped on a smile by using projection. However, I realized that the act of wiping is an act of removal. Therefore,  I modified my piece for it to show this ritualistic act of wiping off a tired face and replacing it with a smile. The modified video speaks more to an overarching idea dealt with in Modern Times. Even in tough times one should keep going. Never say die.
It should be viewed as a loop for it to demonstrate the ritualistic aspect of the concept.