Tony Schwensen
Attempting to approach fanaticism (Boston Bruins) (production still) 2010
single-channel HD video
colour
2 hours
© Courtesy the artist, Sarah Cottier Gallery, Sydney; and Uplands Gallery, Melbourne
Attempting to approach fanaticism (Boston Bruins) (production still) 2010
single-channel HD video
colour
2 hours
© Courtesy the artist, Sarah Cottier Gallery, Sydney; and Uplands Gallery, Melbourne
Tony Schwensen’s ongoing artistic project charts contemporary culture through the use of his own body as a performative object. His observations about contemporary culture are absorbed and reworked as cultural gestures, and form part of a non-judgemental commentary. For the Basil Sellers Art Prize, Schwensen’s single-channel video self-portraits are displayed on plasma screens. These artworks document the artist’s attempts to learn the vernacular and lore of New England sports, and are part of a body of videoperformance that investigates the nature of fandom, the relationship between fans and a team’s performance, and the impact of sports teams upon local and regional cultural identity.