The videos and installations of this African-American often have identity and opposition as subject. Cokes achieves this by putting everyday images and sounds in a different context, by repositioning them. His work is often a collection of footage from archives and Hollywood films, commentary of texts, voice-overs and pop music. The work seems to be made up of image and text material found by chance and put together in such a way that it causes instability. 'Ad Vice' consists of a succession of coloured projection surfaces with segments of text from the worlds of advertising, sport and popular culture. These projection surfaces in turn alternate with images of a rock band whose music continuously frames the whole. As regards form and content, the video looks like a commercial, an advertising spot for Swipe country. The fast changing images, the continual music and the start and final texts of 'Ad Vice' refer to it. The viewer is welcomed with the words: welcome to Swipe country…enjoy the sound…make contact…we'll bring good things to your life… But leaning back and enjoying it just doesn't seem possible. The comfort of fast changing images and catchy slogans is undermined by probing questions on the projection surface. Do you feel good? Why do you feel so lonely? Am I a stranger in my own world? As confirmation of this undermining effect, some of the questions appear more than once or are of extra large size. The central theme in 'Ad Vice' forms the question: we all have opinions, the voice of our generation, where do they come from? And in this way Cokes seems to question the essence of our individual existence. Who or what are you? A product of present-day consumer society? So, are you so happy with that? Are you really happy? Everyday commercial expressions do not always carry the message you might expect.
– Anita de Groot |
Text: Jean-Paul Tremblay
Music: Swipe 2.0
Tony Cokes, 1956, Richmond (USA)
Lives and works in Providence, RI (USA)
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