One of the first things I noticed about Sadie Benning is her point of view. She takes simple video shots and creates a depth with them that is very obvious and unassuming. Her works are complex yet simple, and with their concentrations they manage to focus on very relevant themes and questions for young adults. In Me & Ruby Fruit for example, her attention is on the ideas of marriage and love that depict American society in a way that allows for a lot of homophoebia and worry about things that are "different" from the norm. I think this depiction is very accurately and appropriately questioned in her work. I especially love how she uses her own young eyes in the video, giving the piece a very clear and youthful perspective.
What Sadie Benning stands for is someone who is transitional, at least in this particular piece. She creates, with her work, a space for those wondering about who they are. As she carefully depicts objects and ideas that centralize the issue at hand, her work creates thoughts and emotions that are very personal for each viewer. As an audience member, I'm extremely impressed that someone so young could have the effect of an audience like she did when she made the piece. Despite its simplicity the video is real. It's emotional without tears, it's colorful though filmed in black and white, and it's very adult despite being portrayed through the mind of a teenager.
I agree with you in the fact this piece served as a great resource with people who were struggling with identity, especially that of sexuality. When this piece came out being open with one's homosexuality was still not as welcome as it is today, and so I'm sure this video piece was a great inspiration for people under this social pressure at the time.
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