Work, Rest & Play, image courtesy of Vicki Bennett

Commissioned by Lovebytes in collaboration with Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust, Vicki Bennett’s Work, Rest & Play is a captivating video triptych exploring the themes of labour and leisure, industriousness and stillness.

The film has been carefully constructed using industrial and documentary film footage from 1940-1975 to follow the endless chug of the conveyor belt of life. Formatted as a triptych, the film’s whole is intended to be greater than the sum of the parts. Material from the Prelinger Archives and AV Geeks, two of the biggest ephemeral footage libraries in the world, has been pieced together in a symphony of movement and metamorphosis. Images of production lines, factories, and educational and creative industries, are sandwiched by those of the winding up and down processes of the day, the hours of leisure and relaxation, to illustrate the endless whirr of activity in our pursuit of meaning and happiness.

Since 1991 British artist Vicki Bennett has been an influential figure in the field of audio visual collage, through her innovative sampling, appropriating and cutting up of found footage and archives. Check out APEngine’s interview with Vicki Bennett for more information about Work, Rest & Play.

Credits
Vicki Bennett (People Like Us)
Commissioned by Lovebytes in collaboration with Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust