White Gloves and Lots of Noise

review by Jack Duggan

            The ICA in Boston had a number of very interesting pieces, however one stood out to me in particular.  The piece Shake Rattle and Roll by Christian Marclay was certainly strange, however that is the reason it is so intriguing.  The piece consisted of a circle of TVs, on white pedestals.  On these TVs, all that could be seen was a two hands white gloves repeating various actions.  Some of the actions included, shaking a box with a ball in it, flipping through a deck of cards, or opening and closing a book.  All of the actions made a specific noise, so if you were to walk in front of each TV, you could hear the individual sound.  However, if you stood in the middle, all the sounds would blend together, created a very anxious and hectic vibe.  Personally, I rarely feel strong emotions when viewing art, however I felt extremely unnerved by this piece.  The television never showed more than the man or woman completing the tasks’ hands.  This mystery as to who the person in the video was also created an eerie sensation.  The darkness of the room may be the biggest contributor to said sensation.  The room is only illuminated by the TVs which immerses who into the piece, rather than simply viewing it.  I would strongly encourage everyone to view this piece.