Issue No 17
1985 STUDIO

A Cannon Answered Brood : Sam Cannon’s “Mutations”

BY Evan Louison


Straddling the line between desire and discomfort with digital transmutations, Sam Cannon is breaking the mold, creating a patent-perfect line of first ever human - hybrid - cryptozoological species.

 


LEGS ON PEDESTAL 30.4’’ x 17.8’’ Video with Frame 2015

 

 

Her creations are displayed in the form of animated GIFs. With every stutter & tremor, her children display their sad, sideshow tender — a cast of characters upon whom even Moreau would have smiled & waved in adoration.

 


RICE WITH EYES 30.4’’ x 17.8’’ Video with Frame 2015

 

 

As eyes blink in place of breasts, their facial features multiply, their legs twitch in endless reverberation — & slowly, our concept of beauty erodes; our sense of compassion called out, our curiosity illuminated, & our perception subverted.



 

 

"This series began as a way for me to explore different video editing techniques, and quickly became one of my favorite personal projects. These images, like most of my work, live somewhere between still photography and video. I am very interested in creating a space where time doesn't exist in a linear way, where a moment loops forever. A space where the characters I create can live. The movement of the characters is very important to me. It helps create a new relationship between the viewer and the piece. They can exist, can move and breathe and blink, whether or not you are in the room to observe them. This independence from the viewer is very interesting to me, especially when paired with manipulated images of women's bodies."

– Sam Cannon


 


Portrait of Sam Cannon by Daniele Sarti for 1985

 


 

 

Shop artwork from Sam Cannon HERE

 

Photo of Sam Cannon's artwork @GLORY HOLE by Jacqueline Verdugo / Courtesy of BFA