A Glamorous Woman, 2026
Single channel video, 5 minutes 30 secondsContinuing to explore the creative and conceptual use of access materials, which were deeply embedded into his recent Spike Island and Chisenhale Gallery co-commission, A Glamorous Woman is a time-based work in two parts. An audio description of footage of a 1988 performance by Dareth May Bennett, co-written by Guthrie and Bennett with consultation from Soundscribe, and read by Bennett, is followed by a director’s commentary, written and read by Guthrie, reflecting on the making of the audio description.
Audio descriptions and director’s commentaries are two forms of speech-based image interpretation which add on and give depth to existing video. The former is often presumed to operate from a scripted position of clear-voiced neutrality, while the latter tends to be more conversational and impromptu. By working with Bennett and Soundscribe to develop an embodied audio description that extends beyond the brief runtime of the original footage, Guthrie creates a re-staging of the work that disregards both the racial and temporal limitations placed on the performance by its white director and brings agency back to its Black performer. The subsequent director’s commentary reflects upon Guthrie’s chance rediscovery of the footage that informs this new work, whilst justifying to listeners his reasoning behind the refusal to reproduce it for a new audience.
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Selected screenings and exhibitions
- Open Studios 2026, Rijksakademie, Amsterdam, 2026