The Great One, 2002-2005
This life-size sports den acts as the spatial locus for three characters all "played" by myself and my image: a famous female hockey player, a female fan, and myself (an artist). The room is filled with handcrafted souvenirs that honor The Great One and the fictional hockey team she plays for - The Windsor Beavers. A video playing on a loop in the background announces The Great One's retirement in an emotional TV speech. Although performed by myself, the speech is actually a word-for-word reenactment of Wayne Gretzky's retirement speech from 1999. The celebrity marketing of artists and athletes come together in a room where the beginning, peak and end of a professional career are brought together.
This life-size sports den acts as the spatial locus for three characters all "played" by myself and my image: a famous female hockey player, a female fan, and myself (an artist). The room is filled with handcrafted souvenirs that honor The Great One and the fictional hockey team she plays for - The Windsor Beavers. A video playing on a loop in the background announces The Great One's retirement in an emotional TV speech. Although performed by myself, the speech is actually a word-for-word reenactment of Wayne Gretzky's retirement speech from 1999. The celebrity marketing of artists and athletes come together in a room where the beginning, peak and end of a professional career are brought together.
