ACME., Los Angeles, 2002, photo by Robert Wedemeyer.

Artist:  Jennifer Steinkamp
Title: Jimmy Carter
Date: 2002
Dimensions: Variable  35 x 18 x 14 feet
2002 equipment: 3 Sharp XGC50 projectors, 1 Epson 5350 projector, 3 Mac G3 computers.
Photo credit:  Robert Wedemeyer, courtesy ACME, Los Angeles.
Exhibition History: 

1. ACME, Los Angeles, California, curated by Robert Gunderman and Randy Sommer, November 23 - December 21, 2002.
2. Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas, curated by Bruce Hartman, February 9 - March 26, 2003.
3. Printemps de Septembre, les Abattoirs, Toulouse, Toulouse France, curated by Jean-Marc Bustamante, Jean-Pierre Criqui and Pascal Pique, September 23 - October 16, 2005.
4. Art | 37 | Basel, Switzerland, Lehmann Maupin, New York, June 14 - 18, 2006.
5. Jennifer Steinkamp, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA, curated by JoAnne Northrup, July 1 - October 1, 2006.
6. Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri, curated by JoAnne Northrup and Elizabeth Dunbar, February 16 - May 13, 2007.
7. Jennifer Steinkamp, Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo, New York, curated by JoAnne Northrup and Holly Hughes, March 14 - June 29, 2008.
8. Open This End, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, curated by Joseph R. Wolin, February 19 - July 12, 2015
9. Open This End: Contemporary Art from the Collection of Blake Byrne, Ohio State University Urban Arts Space, Columbus, Ohio, curated by Joseph R. Wolin, August 25 - November 7, 2015.
10. Open This End, Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon, curated by Joseph R. Wolin, September 8 - December 11, 2016.

Description:  Jimmy Carter is a site-specific video installation that fills large walls of the gallery; thousands of computer synthesized flowers swing back and forth. The flowers create an illusion where space seems to dematerialize. It feels as though the walls are moving along with the flowers.

The piece was made as my response to 9/11/2001. At the time I found it very difficult to make any statements against the war in response to 911 without being considered an anti-patriotic terrorist. I decided to defend my patriotism and create a statement of peace by naming the art after an American president.

I named this piece "Jimmy Carter" in honor of a man I respect very much. He is an incredible, selfless, and generous leader. It is unbelievable to me that the United States political system was able to choose this amazing person to lead the country. At the same time Carter was receiving the Nobel Peace Prize "for his  decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international  conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote  economic and social development". 

Part of the Collections:
Blake Byrne, Los Angeles, California.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California.

Movie

ACME., Los Angeles, 2002, photo by Robert Wedemeyer.