by Jazmina Figueroa // Oct. 2, 2013
This article is part of our artist Spotlight Series.
‘Slow Action’ is a series of four narrative 16mm films by Ben Rivers set in different sites around the world. Each site is outstanding in its seclusion, absence of modern society, and astonishing natural environment. ‘Slow Action’ is a combination of ethnography, documentary, and fiction. The story is a study of how island geography influences the evolution of isolated species and eco-systems. The pieces are wonderfully intimate, in part due to the nostalgic effect of 16mm film.
Ben Rivers’ is an artist who makes films. His work plays between the lines of documentary and fiction and most of his films are created through hand processing footage. Rivers work feels like a homage to cinema creating filmic portraits of uncharted areas beyond any modern influence. The films tie our world with the far away unexplored Earth through a combination of documentation and fictional concepts.
