Civilização Americana

(American Civilization)

In Civiltà Americana, the presence of the body and gesture introduces a temporal dimension into Cass’s formal exploration. As in his other video performances, the action centres on seemingly simple gestures, in which hands and objects play a crucial role. Video allows the artist to explore through time the same questions addressed in his painting and sculpture: construction and deconstruction, surface and depth, order and transformation. Gesture therefore does not simply illustrate an action, but becomes a means through which form is continuously produced and transformed.