“Iris” by Seoungho Cho
Title:
- Iris
Artist(s) and People Involved:
Filmmaker, Video Artist, or Animator(s):
Symposium:
Venue(s):
Artist Statement:
I attended my father’s funeral in Korea. When I returned to the United States, I still felt a great sadness and the need to express my sorrow. As usual, I turned to my video camera. The title, Iris, is both the eye of the camera, which I opened to allow in a flood of white light that produced blurred images like the images I saw through my tears, and also the iris of my own eye. In Korea, a person opens his heart through the opening of the eyes. The style of the imagery conveys its meaning and emotional content more than the subject matter. The latter matters to the extent that the viewer is alienated from the passing figures who are merely anonymous, passing limbs and wheels, not whole individuals.
