We are delighted to be premiering this large-scale film installation by American artist Amie Siegel. This epic new work, which has recently joined the national collection, takes centre stage in our ongoing exhibition, New Arrivals, at Modern One.
In her expansive film installation, Bloodlines, Siegel explores ideas of class and labour, and the relationship between private and public realms. Siegel follows the movement of paintings by English artist George Stubbs (1724-1806), from their homes in aristocratic country estates and public institutions across the UK, to a Stubbs exhibition in a public gallery, and their subsequent return.
As the film unfolds, Siegel draws out connections between her subjects and those of the paintings. People, property, animals and objects move between the real and the represented, creating a mirror of human, equine and artistic bloodlines, and highlighting both lineages of ownership and the constructs of image-making itself.
Without voice-over or narration, Siegel’s intimate camerawork, her signature, carefully composed tracking shots and deft, associative editing reveal networks of meaning in subtle and poetic ways. Offering a window into the world of cultural heritage, Bloodlines exposes structures of ownership and inherited wealth which continue to shape British society today.
Bloodlines is on display at Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One) from 12 March until 4 September 2022.
