Linda Duvall is a visual and media artist who works and presents within gallery contexts, on the web, and within defined public communities. Linda Duvall’s projects focus on how individual identities are formed and revealed within a societal context. Her work often mimics the fieldwork of sociologists as she collects oral histories and records ordinary conversations in order to discern meanings hidden in mundane and familiar language. Her work consistently addresses public knowledge and presentation posited in contrast to the more intimate and possibly private material that is initially hidden.
Duvall's projects address the subjective constructed nature of narratives. She starts by setting up conditions or a framework and then lets the process unfold. She puts strangers together in a situation for interaction. This interaction with its surprises and tensions, rather than any final resolution, is her primary point of focus. She looks for ways to engage audiences in this interaction.
"Duvall’s work is as much about sociology and anthropology as it is about art. She takes, however, the role of ‘rebel sociologist’ … her interest is less in scientific methodology than in constructing work that fascinates in its final presentation."
Linda Jansma 'Sanctioned Deception' in catalogue Linda Duvall Enough White Lies 2005
"Linda Duvall engineers temporary relationships between strangers. Her social engagement art works bring people together to share stories across divides of culture, class and region. She uses artifice to encourage authenticity. These initially awkward meetings soon melt barriers to reveal a common humanity. The projects are fuelled by a faith in the healing properties of purposeless dialogue. Success is measured by feelings of quality engagement rather than the achievement of some end. The work is goalless but not guileless. The encounters are not ephemeral; Duvall records some of the sessions, others can be eavesdropped, so we can marvel at the richness of interpersonal discourse."
David Garneau 'Engaging Strangers' in catalogue Linda Duvall Where were the Mothers? 2009
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Duvall's current in-progress project is entitled The Toss. The Toss is the working title for a video installation in which Duvall documents her process of learning to toss others.
Duvall was involved in a police takedown, in which she was flipped off her feet and landed flat on the ground. In The Toss, she revisited this event, but shifted both the context and the final outcome. She hired trainers to teach her how to perform various tosses. Then she re-enacted meetings and tosses in various locations of personal vulnerability.
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Recent Projects
Linda's video Tumbleweed was included in the screening
SPANE Performance Art in the Natural Environment
at Artscape Gibralter Point, Toronto 2011
Linda presented at ISEA 2011 Istanbul
Her talk was entitled
CTRL – O Confronting Barriers to Communication in Interdisciplinary Projects
Linda presented at the
International Sociology Conference in Vancouver in July 2011
on the panel
Speech Acts: Conversation and collaboration in research-based visual art and media art practices (Canada & UK)
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