Primarily Speaking, 1981-83
Two-channel video/sound installation
Two-monitor version:
Two 20-inch color video monitors, two mirrors (of equal size to the monitors’ displays), three painted (or formica-laminated) MDF board cabinets, two speakers, two-channel synchronizer, two DVD players and two DVDs (color; stereo sound)
Dimensions: Monitor cabinet is 66 h. x 22 w. 96 l. inches (167 x 56 x 243 cm.), and two mirror cabinets are 66 x 22 x 16 inches each (167 x 56 x 41 cm.)
Eight-monitor version:
Eight 20-inch color LCD monitors, two painted (or formica-laminated) MDF board cabinets, four speakers, video switcher/color field generator, computer with controlling software written in DOS, time code reader, two-channel synchronizer, two laserdisc players and two laserdiscs (color; stereo sound)
Dimensions: Each of the two monitor cabinets is 84 h. x 24 w. x 144 l. inches (213 x 61 x 254 cm.); positioned approx. 6 ft. apart.
The two-monitor version (dated 1981 – 83 / 1990) of this work exists in an edition of two and one artist’s proof.
The eight-monitor version (dated 1981 – 83) of this work exists in an edition of two and one artist’s proof.
In the two-monitor version of this work, two monitors are positioned facing outward from the ends of a long cabinet. Two additional pedestals, appearing to have split off the ends of the cabinet, have mirrors that reflect the monitors at each end of the cabinet. The long cabinet structure in the middle is slightly rotated relative to the alignment of the three structures. This allows viewers at either end to see one monitor directly and the other monitored image in the mirror at the other end and vice-versa. The audio and video components are described below.
In the eight-monitor version of this work, two identically constructed cabinets, each housing four monitors (mounted horizontally and flush with the cabinet’s surface) and two speakers, face one another about six feet apart, forming a corridor. Images and color fields (blue, green, red, cyan, magenta, and yellow) move back and forth along the monitors to the rhythm of a spoken text constructed from idiomatic expressions. At any one time, each wall contains one image and three color fields. These cycle back and forth along the four monitors alternately to the rhythm of the opposing wall’s spoken phrase. The work is segmented by idiomatic sing-song like rhymes during which time the images and colors reset to the initial position in which an image and its mirror (reverse) image are across from one another, as are the colors and their opposites. During this time the images and colors ripple back and forth along the corridor for the duration of the “song,” maintaining their reciprocal relationships.
Exhibition history of two-monitor version:
“Le temps des machines,” Centre de recherche et d’action culturelle (CRAC), Valence, France, November 13 – December 30, 1990.
World Wide Video Festival, Kijkhuis, The Hague, The Netherlands [dates unknown].
“Anos 80,” Culturgest – Gestão de Espaços Culturais, Lisbon, Portugal, May 12 – August 31, 1998.
“Zero Visibility – Exhibition and Festival of Electronic and Multi-media Arts,” Colonna Castle, Genazzano, Italy, March 14 – April 13, 2003.
Exhibition history of eight-monitor version:
An example of this work was first shown as a work-in-progress at The Kitchen Center for Video and Music, New York, New York, October 8 – 31, 1981.
Galerie H at ORF, Steirischer Herbst ‘82, Graz, Austria, November 6 – 10, 1982 (exhibited as a work-in-progress).
Solo exhibition. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, New York, November 8 – December 11, 1983.
“Video as Attitude,” University Art Museum, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, May 13 – June 26, 1986.
Japan 92 Video and Television Festival: “Prospectus for a TV Art Channel,” Spiral, Tokyo, Japan, February 1 – 11, 1992.
“American Art in the 20th Century: Painting and Sculpture 1913 – 1993,” Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin, Germany, May 8 – July 25, 1993; Royal Academy of Arts and the Saatchi Gallery, London, England, September 16 – December 12, 1993.
“Gary Hill,” (travelling exhibition organized by the Musée national d’art moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France) Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, August 28 – October 10, 1993.
“Gary Hill: Sites Recited,” Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, California, December 3, 1993 – February 20, 1994.
“Primera generación: Arte e imagen en movimiento (1963 – 1986),” Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain, November 7, 2006 – April 2, 2007.
“Scenes and Traces – From the Collection: Design, Photography and Video,” Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, The Netherlands, April 7 – November 25, 2007.
"Gary Hill: Momentombs," Suwon Art Museum, Suwon, Korea, November 26, 2019 — March 6, 2020.
The Second Link: Viewpoints on Video in the Eighties. Banff, Alberta, Canada: Walter Phillips Gallery, The Banff Centre School of Fine Arts, 1983, p. 29.
Hanhardt, John G. and Gary Hill. Gary Hill. Primarily Speaking, 1981-83. The New American Filmmakers Series 12. Program notes. New York: Whitney Museum of American Art, 1983, unpaginated.
Furlong, Lucinda. “A Manner of Speaking: An Interview with Gary Hill.” Afterimage 10, 8 (March 1983), pp. 12 – 15.
Gary Hill. Selected Videography. Program notes. Tokyo: JICS Plaza Video and International Community Services, 1984, unpaginated.
Video: A Retrospective. 1974 – 1984. Long Beach, California: Long Beach Museum of Art, 1984, pp. 74, 88.
Hagan, Charles. “Gary Hill, ‘Primarily Speaking’ at the Whitney Museum of American Art.” Artforum 22, 6 (February 1984), pp. 77, 78.
2e Semaine International de Video. Geneva: Bel Veder, Centre Génevois de Gravure Contemporaine, 1987, pp. 63 – 66.
The Situated Image. San Diego: Mandeville Gallery, University of California, San Diego, 1987, p. 4.
Gary Hill: DISTURBANCE (among the jars). Villeneuve d’Ascq, France: Musée d’Art Moderne, 1988, unpaginated.
Mittenthal, Robert. Gary Hill: And Sat Down Beside Her. Paris: Galerie des Archives, 1990, unpaginated.
OTHERWORDSANDIMAGES: Video by Gary Hill. Copenhagen: Video Gallerie/Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, 1990, pp. 13, 14.
Le Temps des Machines. Valence: Centre de recherche et d’action culturelle (CRAC), 1990, unpaginated.
Chion, Michel. “La bouche et la video.” L’Image Video 3 (April/May 1990), pp. 20 – 22.
Van Assche, Christine. “Gary Hill: The Imager of Disaster. Interview with Gary Hill.” Galeries Magazine (December 1990/January 1991), p. 77.
The 2nd International Biennale in Nagoya ARTEC’91. Nagoya, Japan: Nagoya City Art Museum, 1991, p. 32.
Video Forum Berlin Bestandskatalog. Berlin: Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, 1991, pp. 16, 77.
Lageira, Jacinto. “Gary Hill. Une verbalisation du regard.” Parachute 62 (April/May/June 1991), pp. 6 – 9.
Hill, Gary. “Site Re:cite,” Camera Obscura: Unspeakable Images, San Francisco 24 (1991), pp. 125, 134, 136.
Art at the Armory: Occupied Territory. Chicago: Museum of Contemporary Art, 1992, p. 89.
Sarrazin, Stephen. Chimaera Monographe No. 10 (Gary Hill). Montbéliard, France: Centre International de Création Vidéo Montbéliard, Belfort, 1992, pp. 7, 24, 25, 28 – 31, 39, 40, 49, 54, 78 – 80. (Including excerpts from a preface by Gary Hill and an interview with Gary Hill).
Van Assche, Christine. Gary Hill. Paris: Editions du Centre Georges Pompidou, 1992, pp. 9, 35, 40, 54 – 57, 59, 87, 95. (Including an excerpt from Gary Hill, “Inter-view”).
Glowen, Ron. “Natural processes of thought: video of the mind.” Artweek 23 (September 17, 1992), p. 24.
Fargier, Jean-Paul. “Gary Hill sur la crête des vagues.” Jardin des Modes (December 1992).
Gay, Jean-Jacques. “Surf, drogue et video.” Museart 26 (December 1992/January 1993), pp. 122, 123.
Cooke, Lynne. “Gary Hill: ‘Who am I but a figure of speech?’” Parkett 34 (1992), pp. 16, 19.
Mignot, Dorine. Gary Hill. Amsterdam: Stedelijk Museum; Vienna: Kunsthalle Wien, 1993, pp. 8, 13, 14, 18, 21 – 35, 49, 54. (Including excerpts from Gary Hill, “Inter-view”).
Van Assche, Christine and Corinne Diserens. Gary Hill. Valencia: Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno (IVAM), Centre del Carme, 1993, pp. 39, 42, 58 – 61, 91, 99.
Sorensen, Jens Erik, ed. Strange Hotel International Art. Aarhus: Aarhus Kunstmuseum, 1993, pp. 83, 121.
Gary Hill: Sites Recited. Long Beach, California: Long Beach Museum of Art, 1993, pp. 5, 7, 24.
Joachimides, Christos M. and Rosenthal, Norman, eds. American Art in the 20th Century: Painting and Sculpture 1913 – 1993. Munich: Prestel -Verlag, 1993, cat. 247, p. 481. (In German: Amerikanische Kunst im 20. Jahrhundert: Malerei und Plastik 1913 – 1993. Berlin: Martin-Gropius-Bau, 1993, cat. 247, p. 481.)
Den Hartog Jager, Hans. “Droomwereld.” HP de Tijd (September 3, 1993), pp. 113, 115.
Braet, Jan. “Schepen in de nacht.” KNACK (September 15, 1993), p. 132.
Murin, Preložil Michal. “Gary Hill.” Profil. Súcasného Výtvarného Umenia (December 1993), p. 28.
Bruce, Chris. Gary Hill. Seattle, Washington: Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, 1994, pp. 48, 50, 62 – 64, 82, 83.
Willis, Holly. “The Unknown That Knows Where the Hole in the Mind Resides: Installations and Videos by Gary Hill at the Long Beach Museum of Art.” Video Networks, San Francisco (February/March 1994), pp. 20, 21.
Vogel, Sabine B. “Im Licht des Monitors Gary Hill.” Artis (December 1994/January 1995), pp. 44, 45.
Gary Hill: Tall Ships, Clover. Stockholm: Riksutställningar, 1995, pp. 14, 15, 52, 53.
Vischer, Theodora, ed. Gary Hill: Imagining the Brain Closer than the Eyes. Basel: Museum für Gegenwartskunst; Ostfildern: Cantz, 1995, pp. 69, 100. (In German: Gary Hill: Arbeit am Video. Basel: Museum für Gegenwartskunst; Ostfildern: Cantz, 1995, pp. 75, 108.)
Nagy, Pál. Az irodalom úm mufajai. Budapest: Magyar Muhely, 1995, p. 332.
Duncan, Michael. “In Plato’s electronic cave.” Art in America 83, 6 (June 1995), p. 69, 72.
Beckmann, Angelika. “Gary Hill.” European Photography 58, 16, 2 (Fall 1995), pp. 60, 67.
Klangkunst - Sonambiente festival für hören und sehen. Berlin: Akademie der Kunste, 1996, p. 71.
Lestocart, Louis-José. “Gary Hill: Surfer sur le medium / Surfing the Medium.” art press 210 (February 1996), p. 20.
Liesbrock, Heinz. Gary Hill: Midnight Crossing. Münster: Westfälischer Kunstverein, 1997, p. 24.
Dantas, Marcello. Gary Hill: O lugar do outro/where the other takes place. Rio de Janeiro: Magnetoscópio, 1997, pp. 26, 27.
Gary Hill: Midnight Crossing. (Warsaw: Center for Contemporary Art, Ujazdowski Castle, 1998), p. 145. (In Polish.)
Stals, José Lebrero. Gary Hill: HanD HearD – Withershins – Midnight Crossing. Barcelona: Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, 1998, pp. 8, 50.
Der elektronische Raum: 15 Positionen zur Medienkunst. Bonn: Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Dueuschland, 1998, pp. 147 – 149, 156.
Anos 80/The Eighties. Lisbon: Culturgest, 1998, cat. no. 101, pp. 126, 127, 164.
TV Dinner No. 2 at The Kitchen: Gary Hill and Meg Stuart. Program notes. New York: The Kitchen, 1998, unpaginated.
“Liminal Performance: Gary Hill in Conversation with George Quasha and Charles Stein,” PAJ (Performing Arts Journal) No. 58, Vol. XX, No. 1 (January 1998), pp. 5, 8, 16.
Kold, Anders, ed. Gary Hill. Aarhus: Aarhus Kunstmuseum, 1999, p. 94.
Morgan, Robert C., ed. Gary Hill. Baltimore: PAJ Books / The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000, pp. 10 – 11, 12, 42 – 43, 47, 96 – 103, 117, 190, 247 – 248, 256, 271 – 279, 280 – 281, 291.
Gary Hill en Argentina: textos, ensayos, dialogos. Buenos Aires: Centro Cultural Recoleta, 2000, pp. 30 – 31, 35.
Gary Hill: Instalaciones. Córdoba: Ediciones Museo Caraffa, 2000, pp. 12, 15, 37 – 38, 44.
Quasha, George and Charles Stein. La performance elle-même in Gary Hill: Around & About: A Performative View. Paris: Éditions du Regard, 2001, p. 48 – 49, 64.
Gary Hill: Selected Works and catalogue raisonné. Wolfsburg: Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, 2002, GHCR 48, pp. 111 – 112.
Barro, David. Gary Hill: Poeta da percepção, poet of perception, poeta de la percepción. In Portuguese, Spanish and English. Porto: Mimesis, 2003, pp. 11, 16, 17, 33, 37, 55, 59.
Daniel, Noel, ed. Broken Screen: 26 Conversations with Doug Aitken: Expanding the Image, Breaking the Narrative. New York: D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, 2006, p. 156.
Samaniego, Alberto Ruiz de. “Gary Hill and Maurice Blanchot: Dialogues at the Threshold.” Dardo magazine, 2 (June – September 2006), pp. 146 – 179.
Primera generación: Arte e imagen en movimiento [1963 – 1986]. (in Spanish). Madrid: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, 2006, pp. 228 – 233, 369 – 370, 404 – 405.
Quasha, George and Charles Stein. An Art of Limina: Gary Hill’s Works and Writings. Barcelona: Ediciones Polígrafa, 2009, pp. 24, 60, 122, 395, 396, 397, 399, 401, 463, 464, 473, 550 – 557, 575, 588, 624, 642.
Art and Text. London: Black Dog Publishing, 2009, pp. 186, 228 – 299.
“Gary Hill: Primarily Speaking,” Infra-Mince: revue de photographie, 5. Arles: Cahiers de l’Ecole nationale supérieure de la photographie, 2009, pp. 133 – 143.
100 Video Artists. Madrid: EXIT Publicaciones – Rosa Olivares y Asociados S.L., 2010, pp. 30, 218 – 221, 459. Text by George Quasha.
well
you know what they say
we've all heard it before
it never ceases to amaze me
this time
it's more than just a change in the weather
they've really outdone themselves
how they ever got it past us I don't know
in many circles it's considered the unspeakable
these types of goings-on surface every so often
statistically
one of us is probably involved
there's always someone willing to run the risk
at this point though
there are no tell tale signs to speak of
I wonder if the better thing to do is refrain from speculation
hang in there but hold back
not get caught up in the missing link syndrome
of course there's an ulterior motive
when is there ever not
that it's been dropped in our laps I'm sure is no accident
we can't just stand around though
where to go from here is the question
do you have any ideas
one thing's for certain
they don't know we'll go to any length to do what has to be done
for the time being
if we can hold our own
we're bound to come across something in that near future
Blue Green Red Cyan Magenta Yellow
Food Feed Fed I have the time of Day-Glo
there's no way in the world I'm going to get framed this time around
chances are you're thinking along similar lines
stick close to me and remember
I'll be calling the shots from now on
if at any time I drop back
you pick up where I left off
if we find ourselves losing touch here's a little piece of advice
there can never be an eye for an eye
there will always be a middle man
who will whisper in your ear at every turn
something to the effect of
"we can go by the book or you can eat my words"
no reason to go to such extremes
think little or nothing of it
then again
just to be on the safe side
better file it away for future reference
so
let's get on with the business at hand
we can cover a lot of ground in the time we've allotted ourselves
we have our choice
living in suspended animation
or under the auspices of supply and demand
when you buy and we sell we both trade
I've swallowed a good many hook line and sinker
in light of the fact
I've been a fish out of water for a long time
it's pretty safe to assume you're in the same position
sure
I know that you know that I know that you know
so on and so forth
you've got it all staked out
I know you were playing for keeps from the beginning
why do I sense a note of skepticism
listen
we can part company anytime
in case you've forgotten
this is all at your convenience
still
it's necessary if not by design that we cross paths in some way shape or form
Blue Green Red Cyan Magenta Yellow
Food Feed Fed I have the time of Day-Glo
off the record
this is somewhat out of character for me as I imagine being closed mouth is for you
if it all seems a bit too high and dry
take comfort in the fact
that coming up face to face would eliminate our time for reflection
look
on the surface
what do we have to lose
aesthetic persuasion
leisure time
what is it
why has it come to this
I've never turned on you before
or vice versa
have our shortcomings finally met
one of us must accept the other
if not the two of us accept each other
the remaining possibility is out of the question
objects in the mirror are closer than they appear
in light of the situation maybe it's wrong to carry on like this
we've been on delicate ground before
should one of us back off
wait
let's try to be objective
there's no sense in running ourselves into a ditch
in the midst of it all
let's try to be objective for a moment
point blank
who are you
I mean it
just this one time
we don't have to split hairs or anything
within reason
who
are
you
come on
shift gears for a minute
take a deep breath
you know the ropes
you're one of those in their right mind
take a deep breath and face the music
start now and work backwards
start in the middle and dream
think it over
rattle off a list if that's all that's left
never mind the images
they always return
if not new ones will replace the old ones
it's their destiny
even those permanently lodged
sooner or later lose their grasp
it's the nature of the beast
Blue Green Red Cyan Magenta Yellow
Food Feed Fed I have the time of Day-Glo
where did you leave off
did you take the plunge
what was the cut off point
maybe you need more lead time
there's a long way to go before hitting rock bottom
come on
put your best foot forward
move on it
cover some ground
get the feel of it
re-enter
you're not a backseat driver are you
I know what you're thinking
it's not in the scheme of things that you take me for a ride
after all
I'm your monkey business
I can never really touch you
I can only leave word
still
there's not much separating us
we're like-minded
I ask the same questions
you give the same answers
you can't teach an old dog new tricks
or can you
I don't know
you tell me
what's what
maybe you prefer sightseeing and I'm better off leaving well enough alone
time on our hands is blood on our hands
I think we're off the track
I know we're off the track
I never for one moment thought I could railroad this through
I knew it was coming
this is the diminishing return I failed to negotiate
sad but true
less is more
more or less
more and more of the time
oh well
such as it is
Blue Green Red Cyan Magenta Yellow
Food Feed Fed I have the time of Day-Glo
in the meantime
let's not lose sight of the facts
they do not need reiterating
there's a time and place for everything
I hope we haven't come here under false pretenses
there are things that should be said and things that should be done
you've been around
and I've been around
double talking will get us nowhere and second guessing is a lost art
quite simply
we are an act of faith
there's no reason we can't walk out of this together
face facts
the controlling factors of our little mise en scène are untouchable
take my word for it
put me above suspicion for a moment
accept it
you are on the receiving end
the distances we imagine are next to close by
at arm’s length
easily penetrable
we are at each other's disposal
we can concentrate on our discrepancies or we can split the difference
that which takes the edge off
in any event
it is on our consciences
don't don't block block the the box box
a a void void grid grid lock lock
the fixation moves from left to right
as time goes on it becomes clockwork
you will have your way and I will make do
in the end we can double back or play the field
I don't want to deny you your own flesh and blood
who am I but a figure of speech
free standing
in advance of a broken arm
these things can happen when one gets ahead of themselves
I'm just going to sit tight
take refuge in the picturesque
things travel fast by word of mouth
I can be long-winded at times as well as drag my feet
the logical conclusion
I'm always putting my foot in my mouth
of course you understand
this is all in a manner of speaking
I don't want to underscore my place here that would be misleading
after all
it's not an open door policy
by the same token
it's very touch and go here
anything can happen at anytime and no one's privy to that bit of information
I don't want to make a production out of it though
all I want is to walk through it with you
we don't have to go to the four corners of the earth to discover we speak the same language
savvy
the place is here
the time is now
zero hour
and so on
Blue Green Red Cyan Magenta Yellow
Food Feed Fed I have the time of Day-Glo
I want to come to terms with where we began and let the rest fall into place
granted
there are many simultaneities
that goes without saying
but for practical purposes
we should respect our limits
so
take a good long hard look at yourself
never mind me
I’ll just go in one ear and out the other
complications can arise in the simplest of forms
and should be played out
watch it
perhaps the most we can do is try and remain true to form
however short-lived these moments may be we can never return to the killer instinct
listen
the floor has been mine now for longer than I care to remember
do you want to talk
do you want to talk it over
do you want to talk about it
feed it intravenously
and have it be over with as soon as possible
I know the position you're in
if you can pull it off
more power to you
it's never clear cut and you'd be wasting your time with the clean break idea
I'll bend over backwards to meet you halfway
in view of where you stand where does that put me
where does that leave us
in the mercenary position
perpendicular
but right side up
no
we can't go by rote memory
there's nothing tying you down and there's nothing letting you go
make up your mind
get a grip on things
your modus operandi
square off and break ground
put your head on the table tangent to your ear
talk to yourself and smile know that you are still here
on the level
perhaps I'm not coming across
I know it's difficult in these close quarters
I've tried to make it as easy as possible
I assure you
one can adapt to this neck of the woods
I'm not out of bounds
you know it and I know it
I'm not going to walk off with it
and you're not going to let it get away
when I'm through
you are going to know what I am talking about
word for word
let's face it
we are too few and far between to let generalities get the best of us
up to this point
when all is said and done
so far so good
when it gets down to the wire perhaps it will be a different story
again
let's not get ahead of ourselves
we're bound to end up in the red that way
you might think the grass is greener on the other side
but it's once in a blue moon a situation the likes of this can occur
in all seriousness
you're dead center in the sightlines of a tour de force
etcetera
etcetera
etcetera