Stan Woodard's video "Sovereign Authority" will be exhibited at Space One Eleven April 7, 2006 – May 28, 2006

From April 7, 2006 - May 28, 2006 Stan Woodard's video "Sovereign Authority" will be exhibited in the show Politics, Politics at Space One Eleven in Birmingham, Alabama. "Sovereign Authority" was originally screened at Eyedrum Art & Music Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia shortly after the United States invaded Iraq. The opening reception is on April 7, 5 - 7 pm. An artists' talk will be presented on April 13, 5 -7 pm; with special guest Sylvie Fortin. These programs are free and open to the public

(PRWEB) April 5, 2006 -- From April 7, 2006 - May 28, 2006 Stan Woodard's video "Sovereign Authority" will be exhibited in the show Politics, Politics at Space One Eleven in Birmingham, Alabama.

Stan Woodard's video "Sovereign Authority" is a commentary on the U.S.'s invasion and current occupation of Iraq. The artist has drawn some conclusions about the real reasons behind the military action. It is his opinion that the stated goals are not supported by the action.

ARTIST STATEMENT
On March 19, 2003 at approximately 02:30 GMT U.S. led forces launched Operation Iraqi Freedom with military strikes on Iraq. Soon after that President Bush appeared on live TV to announce to the American people the beginning of the war in Iraq. I recorded the speech and manipulated the recorded voice to state some truths that were not addressed by the President. It is my contention that the altered transcript more accurately portrays the U.S. position than does any communiqué that might come from the Administration.

To add visual weight I edited images of bomb blasts and distorted views of the President's face with the faces of women taken from pornographics films. The juxtaposition of violence with sex is emblematic of the two main drivers in American culture.

Although this work was completed more than three years ago it remains relevant; the real reasons for the U.S.'s invasion and occupation of Iraq are still clouded by questions. Stan Woodard
stan@stanwoodard.com
http://www.stanwoodard.com

Sovereign Authority
2003
Video
2 minutes

A transcript from the completed video can be fou

Shock and awe
On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of innocent civilians.
Our goal oil wells... oil wells, a source of wealth that belongs to the American people.
The United States of America has the sovereign authority to kill thousands or hundreds of thousands of innocent people in our country or any other.
We come to Iraq with an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder.
America and her friends have trained and harbored terrorists including members of Al Qaida.
For more than a decade the United States and other nations have pursued weapons of mass destruction.
We will accept no outcome but the final atrocity.
Stan Woodard is an artist living and working in Atlanta, Georgia. Political commentary has long been a part of his practice and in 1996 he launched his first bid for the Presidency of the United States of America. That ongoing web based "campaign" can be accessed online at www.woodardforpresident.org . Woodard is an active member of the Atlanta arts community he is currently employed at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center and has served on the board of Eyedrum Art & Music Gallery. He was the recipient of the King Baudouin Foundation United States (KBFUS) Fellowship in 2003. His work has been seen in Atlanta and New York.
www.stanwoodard.com

Space One Eleven
2409 Second Avenue North
Birmingham, AL 35203
Contact Erin Wederbrook
205.328.0553
http://www.spaceoneeleven.org

"Politics, Politics" is the second installation under the umbrella of its provocative "Questions to the New South" series. The exhibition features the introspective works of nine artists, both established and emerging, as they explore the personal and social impact of political events and trends. Those explorations, in turn, become universal statements on the impact politics has had on environment, sports, religion, race, and government in the South.

"Politics, Politics"

Nine Artists Explore the Political Landscape
Second in the "Questions to the New South" series
FUNDED BY THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS

Presented by Space One Eleven
2409 Second Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
April 7, 2006 - May 28, 2006

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Opening reception: April 7, 5-7 pm
Artists talk: April 13, 5 - 7 pm

"Speak truthfully about your village; you'll speak about the universe." ~ Leo Tolstoy

Birmingham, AL, In an upcoming Andy Warhol Foundation funded exhibition, "Politics, Politics," Space One Eleven offers multiple perspectives on the theme of politics and its undeniable role in shaping the social and cultural landscape of the Deep South.

"We're intentionally not focusing on any individual artist, but using these artists' works as a whole to understand the different themes of politics and how they affect each artist as a person," says Anne Arrasmith, co-founder and co-director of Space One Eleven. "The landscape they present when put together is what is most compelling. We think it will prompt us all to consider and to scrutinize the unique factors that shape who we are as a region and as individuals."

Pinky Bass, Clayton Colvin, Peggy Dobbins, Randy Gachet, binx Newton, Arthur Price, John Trobaugh, Paul Ware, and Stan Woodard address particular political components in each of their respective works while presenting a larger question of ethics to the viewer in this follow-up to SOE's well-received "Suspended in Conflict" exhibition. Each artist has a unique style of artwork that visually delineates the separate issues within the unified theme of politics.

"Politics, Politics" is the second art exhibit in a multi-year series of shows and cultural events encouraging participating artists and the community at large to reinterpret the complex issues facing the South during its transition into an imprecise future. This series, entitled "Questions to the New South," represents a cornerstone of Space One Eleven's founding mission to present significant, provocative exhibitions that confront ideas in a southern context or framework.

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