On loan from the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas, the OJAC presents a series of short films by multi-media artists Lenka Clayton and Liliana Porter. Though their approaches to making films are far from similar, both utilize what’s at hand to make truly curious works that incite a gamut of emotions for viewers—ranging from angst to joy.

Argentinian artist Liliana Porter creates simple short films using live and stop action images along with a cast of characters comprised of inanimate objects accompanied by curious soundtracks. The simple approach of using figurines, knick-knacks, and vintage toys as characters results in humorous, absurd, and sometimes poignant narratives.

British-American artist Lenka Clayton attempts to objectively measure the furthest distance she could be from her toddler son in three environments: a city park, the alley behind their Pittsburgh home, and the aisles of a local supermarket. The trio of videos underlines the challenging judgment calls that parents make about how much autonomy to give their children. Each scenario shifts one’s emotions from curious cheerfulness to sudden anxiety in just a few frames. 

Curious is supported by OJAC Members.