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River_of_no_return_1

Artist:  Jennifer Steinkamp
Title:
The River of No Return
Date:
  2004
Dimensions:
  LED screen 52 x 3 feet
Equipment:
Newton Technologies LED Displays, Gwangju, and 1 computer.
Photo credit:
Jennifer Steinkamp, courtesy ACME., Los Angeles, greengrassi, London, and Lehmann Maupin, New York.
Exhibition History:
Gwangju Biennale, Gwangju, Korea. A Grain of Dust a Drop of Water. Curated by Kerry Brougher and Yongwoo Lee, September 10 - November 11, 2004
Description:
This piece creates a river stretched across the bridge between the two buildings of the biennale. Typically a bridge would stretch across a river, in this case the bridge becomes a river. The title is from a love song, sung by Marilyn Monroe and Tennessee Ernie Ford for the movie of the same name.


Movie

River_of_no_return_icon

The River of No Return lyrics:
There is a river called the river of no return;
Sometimes it's peaceful, and sometimes wild and free!
Love is a trav'ler on the river of no return,
Swept on forever to be lost in a stor - my sea.

Bridge:
Wail-a-ree I can hear the river call (no return, no return)
Where the roarin' waters fall,
Wail-a-ree I can hear my lover call, "Come to me"
I lost my love on the river, and forever my heart will yearn;
Gone, gone forever down the river of no re - turn.
Wail-a-ree wail-a-ree
You'll never re - turn to me! (no return, no return, no return)

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