Sorrow Halved #2: Oscillating Sporadically (2023) [Upcoming/Unreleased]

35mm, Color and B&W, 2 Channel, 5min, Sound



Email hoganseidel at gmail dot com for screener or print rental.

In 2019, Hogan Seidel and Gabby Sumney decided to tackle a yearly collaboration called Sorrow Halved–from the German idiom “Geteilte Freude ist doppelte Freude, geteilter Schmerz ist halber Schmerz.” or “A joy shared, is a joy doubled. A sorrow shared, is a sorrow halved.” The two queer artists took a shine to the idiom as they considered ways to subvert traditional notions of authorship and the experimental canon in their practice and their teaching.

The “sorrow” of singular creative genius that is often hailed in the experimental world felt counter to the lessons they were bringing to their students and to their approach to making queer art.

For one year, Gabby and Hogan took the same strip of 35mm clear leader and passed it back and forth every month. There were no restrictions on how to interact with the strip or limitations on materials. The artists were simply responding to each other through gestures.

This is the second film born out of this practice's iteration. Because of the sculptural nature of the work, the film could not be reproduced using an optical printer; instead, it was made on a flatbed photoscanner.

This film began being painted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the artists both moved away from Boston shortly after. The film was split during their departure, as well as their collaborative practice was moved to virtual spaces. The split display is a reflection of working together, while still remaining apart. This two-channel film is accompanied by audio notes sent to each other over the phone. The work reflects the current ruminations of two artists tied together as they deal with love, jobs, and joy gained/lost. Their minds wander to possible futures.