Syndrome 2004
by Catherine Czacki
Claudia Mendoza
Maggie Foster
Syndrome is a three monitor video installation consisting of three portraits of the three artists. The only visible aspect of each portrait is the artists' eyes, which are illuminated by a strip of light in an otherwise completely black space.
The installation is inspired by the Italian horror film The Stendhal Syndrome, by Dario Argento. In the film the main character (a female police inspector) suffers from the "Stendhal Syndrome," a disease that consists of people having adverse reactions to art, mainly fainting followed by hallucinatory spells. In a portion of the film, the inspector is framed in a dark space with only a strip of light across her eyes. In this scene she reveals a fragile psyche - going from scared to psychotic and many other frames of mind with only her eyes. Not only is she the viewer, but also the subject. She became symbolic to us as a shift in the female gaze-from subject to viewer and back again.
Within our own viewing of the film and then production of work, we become symbolic of this dual gaze. We are at once the creators and the subjects of Syndrome.
Our gaze becomes the point of reference for the viewer, as our visual devices are on display, we are the image from the film and creators of the image.
I do not want, at this point in history, to be canonized as a screaming feminist because I have collaborated closely with women, I do however want to stress the beauty of how the process works. I think collaborating with men is also rewarding, but there is something about a "sisterhood"–a "coven"–that makes me feel like we are some kind of group of ancient women, not allowed into the male realm, deciding instead to experiment in potions and chants. At times it also has a sense of a sort of quilting group. In short, working with other women has taught me how to BE FRIENDS with other women, whereas before, I was much more likely to work with and be friends with men. I have learned, despite the reputation that women have for being evil and vindictive (which can be true of many women, but also most humans in general) that women can be wonderful little devils. Being closely involved with other women gave me something I had never had or felt comfortable with before. That's not to say our collaboration and ensuing friendship wasn't met with apprehension by say, some males. One such asked me when I was alone one evening after months of collaboration "where is your crew?"–inferring that I lived a symbiotic lifestyle with my fellow female collaborators. And of course there were the dirty looks we would get from other females when we arrived somewhere as a group. Though this may be pretty standard female behavior, it may also be that people see our closeness as inclusive, or exclusive. This is something we developed that went beyond just parties, or even art critiques, which branched out beyond our working together into a friendship on all levels of our lifestyle. Our friendship isn't just about creating collaborative work, mortal or human, it is also about aiding in individual endeavors and being truly supportive and critical–but not too cruel. It is about spurring new and better versions of each other's work or simply helping with execution (as Ms. Foster and Ms. Mendoza can attest–having spent long nights enslaved in carpentry, appearing in and helping shoot videos as well as other forms of art support–i.e.: confusion in general leading to too-long talks, showing up together for "uncomfortable" social situations, and offering the caring-not-cruel voice of the constant critic).
Regardless of gender, collaboration by any means is sometimes necessary and, with the right people, always beneficial (such as in the case of our own ATA zine editors–witch-Kathleen and warlock-Gilbert.). Aiding your peers becomes an aid for yourself and a connection to outside inspiration. Like Argento's three mothers, who lived in various countries so as to maintain their evil grasp on the whole world, myself and my collaborators are now in different countries–like Argento's Mater Suspiriorum (the Mother of Sighs–Claudia), Mater Tenebraum (the Mother of Shadows–myself), and Mater Lachrymarum (the Mother of Tears–Maggie)–we are now across multiple oceans and continents, yet still supporting each others' inspirations, showing each other's works shamelessly to whomever we meet, and still maintaining our psychic connection through late night séances on the internet...
Although our collaboration recently ended with each of us departing to different countries, a witching hour is near, at which point we will collaborate and again boil the eyes of newt and create "devil babies."
"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain? When the hurly-burly's done. When the battle's lost and won. That will be ere the set of sun... Fair is foul, and foul is fair Hover through the fog and filthy air."
—MacBeth, Act I, Scene I