The Governess
PS1, Romantic Detachment, October/November 2004, Long Island City, New York.
The Governess examines the role of British gothic traditions in representing and reinforcing relations of property, class and cultural imperialism. Drawing from a diverse grouping of narratives–Jane Eyre, The Turn of the Screw and the 1971 horror film See No Evil–the installation combines a gate and stile, an actor reading from Henry James’ classic story with sound effects, “products” from a fabricated tea company, and a 14-minute video with original music by Sean O’Hagan and The High Llamas. It relies on the viewer to make associations between these disparate yet related elements.
