Tim has been thinking about creative partnerships again, after we joined the crowds at the Hirst show at White Cube yesterday. I followed this up today by going to see Candice Breitz’s video installations at Modern Art Oxford. One piece in particular struck a chord: Double Karen (Close to You) 2000 which samples video of Karen Carpenter singing a stripped down version of (They Long To Be) Close to You. One of a series of ‘duets’ (the others feature Olivia Newton-John, Annie Lennox and Whitney Houston), the work consists of two identical monitors facing each other over a stairwell, showing one Karen singing only the words “me-me-me” to the other Karen who sings “you-you-you” in reply.
Partnerships, it seems to me, are always a bit like this, and remain healthy for as long you get to sing both sides of the song from time to time.