Identifications: Hamish Fulton
Gerry Schum, 1970, 0'30''

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In the series Identifications, works by leading artists from the 1960s were mounted one after the other. These were recorded according to their instructions, and they often feature in their own work.
According to Schum, the title of the series should be taken literally. It underlines the unity between artist and work. When the work was first presented, he explained this as follows: 'We no longer perceive the work of art as a painting or sculpture not connected with the artist. On television, the artist can reduce his work to an attitude, a simple gesture, referring to his concept. The work of art is conveyed as a unity of concept, visualization, and the artist who provides the idea.'
In some of the works, such as, those by Beuys, Ruthenbeck, Rinke, Rückriem
Van Elk, Anselmo, Boetti, Calzolari, De Dominicis, and Gilbert & George, the role of the camera is confined to that of a recording instrument. In others, the artists interact with the camera, as in the case of Fulton, Brouwn, Merz, Zorio, Kuehn, Sonnier, and Serra.

Fulton's contribution begins with a very dark image. Gradually, a human figure becomes apparent in the center; this person is holding a flashlight which first points downwards but is then gradually lifted. Finally, the flashlight shines directly into the camera, finalizing the action in a circle of bright light.
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  • Date: 1970
  • Length: 0'30''
  • Type: Video
  • Participants: Hamish Fulton
  • Copyrights: All rights reserved (c) LIMA
  • Genre: performance (artwork genre), television art (artwork genre)
  • Keywords: registration (technique), light, movement, process