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Girls, Tricky
Girls, Tricky
© Steve McQueen. Still courtesy Marian Goodman Gallery, New York.

Girls, Tricky

Artist (Born in London, England, 1969)
Date2001
MediumVideo (color, sound), 14:47 minute loop
Dimensions14:47 minutes
ClassificationsVideo
Credit LineGift of William and Ruth True
Object number2014.27.1
Collections
  • MODERN & CONTEMPORARY
Edition4 + 1 AP
State1
Label TextAcclaimed artist and film maker Steve McQueen uses powerful visual imagery to explore themes of race, politics, and human relationships. This early work demonstrates McQueen’s improvisational and reductive approach to video making, using a hand-held camera, restricted lighting, and limited editing. It captures a close-up rehearsal by the experimental “trip-hop” musician and producer Tricky (Adrian Thaws) as he practices a song in his dimly lit studio. Recorded over four days in this small space, the video presents an intimate portrayal of a raw creative act. McQueen noted, “It’s a rare moment that you see an artist close up gearing himself up for a vocal performance in such a visual way. In effect, a moment not for camera is caught." In this way, Girls, Tricky acts as a psychological portrait of the musician, and provides an insider’s perspective on a generally private exploration of expression and artistic creation.


ProvenancePurchased by donors from the Marian Goodman Gallery, New York (2002). Marian Goodman Gallery acquired the work directly from the artist.