Shalom Gorewitz
Shalom Gorewitz has created more than 100 video art works during his career of 50 years. A recipient of NEA, Guggenheim, and Asian Cultural Council Fellowships, his work is in major international museum and private collections, as well as accessible online. He lives in New York and Vermont with his wife, the poet Rachel Hadas. Gorewitz’ work includes documentaries about artists, collaborations with dancers and performers, short feature films, abstract color studies, and poetic/political observations about our time.
AFTER ANGER; 2020; images from Kenneth Anger’s film Scorpio Rising, clips from various internet news sources; 9 minute run time.
Statement About Work
After Anger (2020) is a cinematic homage to the filmmaker Kenneth Anger borrowing moments from his film Scorpio Rising and news footage downloaded from the internet. The Anger film follows motorcycle gang members as they perform fetishistic, often homo-erotic rituals when they are not riding. There are lots of Nazi worshipping symbols and salutes. There are also many adoring images of Jesus and his disciples on the miracle trail.
After Anger has three sections, each accompanied by a song from Scorpio Rising. The first song, “I Will Follow Him” intersects motorcycle and Jesus footage from Anger’s film, juxtaposing Trump walking with an entourage, gatherings of Bikers for Trump, and mayhem at Trump’s out of control, violent rallies. The second section, with the song, “He’s A Rebel,” is a performance video of Trump’s worst moments as a speaker. The final segment, edited to Wipe Out, illustrates everything following apart.
Will I ever stop being angry? Should I? How is this video, this impulse “Jewish?” What does Scorpio Rising have to do with being Jewish? Why are there so many contradictions in this collage? Is it art or propaganda? Is it an audio/visual essay or a subjective documentary? Is it possible that a Trumpist could see this and like it or will it draw the ire of leftwing purists? What is the anger that fueled this hateful mass movement and what is the anger that can cure it?
