what can i do for you
2007
b/w 16 mm film projection and installation
dimensions variable
4 minutes 41 seconds
what can I do for you is a 16 mm film projected onto the interior wall of a purpose built space. The exterior surface of this space is smooth and painted light blue. Inside, its structure is laid bare. This carefully constructed seclusion is preparation for witnessing a moment of intimacy between two people. The projection itself – black and white and small in scale, exposes a naked male body that deflates and expands with the rhythm of each breath. In the film, the lens draws close over the folds of skin, hovering over pores, follicles and hair. The shifting position of the camera transforms fragmented textured surfaces into expanses of light and shadow in which shapes emerge and disappear. The camera’s broken movements propel a woman’s hand into action. The hand strokes the skin with a cloth, perhaps to stimulate or maybe to cleanse. The ambiguity of this action, at once sexual and caring, is echoed in the film’s title. There is no sound aside from that of the projector.
