Parade

The spectators and iconic vistas along the route of the Bupa Great North Run are given centre stage in this animated collage of archive footage from the last 28 years of the event. With this footage, Vicki Bennett creates a moving image montage of shifting perspectives and irregular angles, bursting out of the conventional TV format and revealing to the audience a unique panoramic view of the run.

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A word from the artist:

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While viewing and sourcing content from the Great North Run film archive, it occurred to me that the huge crowds that come to spectate this event are as important as the participator.

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I arranged film frame layers across the screen so that they strayed outwards in the direction of the natural panning of the original shots – much more in accordance with the natural gaze of the spectator, revealing a unique panoramic view of the content. The irregular angles and shifting perspectives bring to mind Cubist photomontage and Cubist/Vorticist painting/collage, with the added dimension of the moving image naturally taking this to another level. Given that this is a celebration of human achievement, and as a nod of appreciation to the Cubist influence within this work, it seemed appropriate to use “Parade” by Erik Satie as the musical backdrop.

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Parade has been screened at:

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– Ambulante Festival, Mexico (March 2011)

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– In The Long Run: 30 Years of Great Running – Great North Museum: Hancock, UK (July-Oct 2010)

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– Hatton Gallery, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK (September–November 2009)