Momentum Artist: Bobby Lee

Momentum Tulsa 2009 opens Saturday, October 10 with a big party of live music (COLOURMUSIC, Ghost, and Tribes of Soul) and fun. Tickets available in advance and at the door.

Curators selected 93 artworks by 66 artists for the exhibition. Also, three Spotlight artists will exhibit bodies of work, Nick Bayer, Dustin Boise, and Emily Kern. Intern Ashley Romano interviewed the artists to learn about their creative process. Watch for more profiles throughout the run of the exhibition, which remains on display at Living Arts, 307 E Brady, Tulsa, until October 24.

Bobby Lee, Oklahoma City

I am Apparent

Film

Q: What was your concept(s) behind your work(s)?

BL: The film I submitted was made possible by a television advertisement by the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), a group that opposes equal rights for homosexuals. This ad featured a dozen or so different actors reciting the group's anti-equality message, with ominous storm clouds behind them. Somehow, the audition tapes for this ad were leaked on the Internet. This gave me access to video of these actors, all reading the entire script from the commercial in front of a green screen. One of the concepts behind this project was simply to respond to NOM's message of inequality. I turned their message into what I think is a more beautiful message rooted in love, humanity and a more tolerant brand of absurdity.

Q: Explain the technique and/or process you used for the piece(s).

BL: I decided to take a handful of the auditions and edit them to make it seem like the actors were saying different, more aesthetically pleasing lines. I did this, accompanying the new lines with a song I wrote and recorded. Then I used some video footage I collected while walking in my Oklahoma City neighborhood to put on the green screen behind the actors. The finished product is a very creepy music video.