APPLETON, WIS. — Everyone should have such successful first tries.
Lynn Gilge had never shot a video before getting an assignment for one for her digital processes class at Lawrence University. Not only did her videography debut earn Gilge an ‘A’ for the assignment, it wound up being selected for the exhibition “Worlds Away: New Suburban Landscapes” at Minneapolis’ prestigious Walker Art Center.
The four-minute video titled “Continuous Fence” features a dizzying series of fence styles, including traditional white picket, decorative wrought-iron and industrial chain link. Gilge, a sophomore at Lawrence from Phillips, shot the video in one day while walking around Appleton. Some thoughtful observation turned into spontaneous inspiration.
“Back home, I live out in the country, but as I thought about people living in suburbia and started looking at how close the houses are and how many of them have fences around their yards, I was struck with the notion of ‘Are they trying to keep things in, or are they trying to keep things out?,'” said Gilge.
“It’s incredible that Lynn was able to communicate her artistic vision so poetically and that the Walker recognized its hypnotic beauty,” said Julie Lindemann, assistant professor of art at Lawrence, who co-teaches the digital processes class.
“Continuous Fence” was one of 12 videos selected by the Walker Art Center from a nation-wide call for submissions through the popular Internet site YouTube. All of the videos are being shown on a television set in a faux 1970’s suburban basement rec room — complete with paneling, shag carpet and bean bag chairs — the art center constructed specifically for the exhibition, which runs through Aug. 17.
“I couldn’t believe it when I received the email saying my video had been selected for the exhibition,” said Gilge, who is pursuing a major in both studio art and English at Lawrence. “I started calling everyone I knew. It was really kind of surreal. The work of some very famous artists are on display at the Walker, folks like Jasper Johns, Mark Rothko, even Yoko Ono, so to have something I did featured in the same art museum with artists of that stature is beyond description.”
While heartily endorsing the video-making experience as “a lot of fun,” Gilge said it wasn’t without its anxious moments.
“I was a little nervous walking in front of all these people’s houses with a video camera,” Gilge said. “I was worried someone would be suspicious of my intentions and report me to the police.”
During her filming, she did draw the attention of one excited homeowner, who came out to question what she was up to. But Gilge’s explanation of a class assignment quickly defused the situation.
That Gilge’s video debut wound up being part of an exhibition at a major art museum is even more remarkable given the fact she was initially “wait-listed” for the digital art class due to enrollment limitations. It took someone else dropping out for her to get in.
“There was a whole lot of luck involved in all of this,” Gilge said with a laugh.
