“American Confessions”. Two-hour feature length version. Single screen installation loop.

 

“American Confessions” is a demanding sophisticated art installation depicting highly-charged confessions from the police homicide detective’s interrogation “box”. What is happening during a police confession? Manipulation?  Performance?  Truth? “Confessions” presents real footage gleaned from police homicide interviews and fragmented cinematic recreated moments to heighten a minimalist presentation. In this piece art and fiction walk the razor’s edge.  In an earlier form as a television series the piece created an international controversy.  Now as a long form installation it asked questions about the process and art-making. Are there some events off limits to the artist? What are the ethical and moral issues regarding the presentation of this criminal material?  What is the artist responsibility? The suspects often stare directly into the camera lens reminded one of early Warhol factory film "auditions". The piece is uses multiple framing devices and is made up of a mix of naive police camera and subjective personal cinematography.

 

International festival audience. Entertainment Weekly Magazine called the series, “the next big bad thing” and "gripping, part of a new wave". Matt Zoller Zeitz, Roger Ebert.com, wrote, “more a museum installation than mainstream television.” Matt's review was in line with my own instincts about the material. Years later, I re-cut the raw footage into a new extended form for a galleries and museum audience.  Commissioned by Creativo Milano and installed at Palazzo Triennalle.   Milan, Italy.