August

In the tradition of Allan Kaprow’s “Activities”, August documents the simple human activity of clearing paint from a concrete floor. The action suggests as much a psychological state as the uncovering of truths. The colors and shapes of the floor within the frame of the camera converts the rawness of the surface into a carefully-arranged formalist abstract canvas in the process of deconstruction/construction. The audio has been enhanced to place the viewer closer to the surface of the floor as the protagonist of an action that they may interpret as either meditation or obsession.

  • Brian Alves
    Director
  • Linnea Olson
    Director
  • Project Type:
    Experimental
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 1, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    iPhone 6plus
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Brian Alves, Linnea Olson

Brian Alves is an Associate Professor and the Chairperson of Art + Design at Salem State University. He has been an educator, installation artist, graphic designer, art director, museum technician and gallery curator among other things for the past 20 years. Further, he once cleaned a large floor with only a Q-Tip while studying with Allan Kaprow – a pioneer of the “Happening.”

Linnea Olson is a visual artist who utilizes a variety of mediums as she investigates relationships and the theme of redemption. She is profoundly interested in decay and destruction but also the processes of resistance and regrowth. An anarchist at heart, Linnea defines her own rules of engagement.

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