Action for the Delaware

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In Action for the Delaware William Lamson creates the illusion that he is standing on the surface of the river, calmly floating downstream. The camera pulls back, however, and reveals his initial struggle against the strong current of cold water to hoist himself atop the flotation structure he has devised. It is a difficult negotiation to mount the structure, find his balance, and adjust his weight so that the device hovers just below the surface of the water, invisible in the camera shots from above, but visible in the close-up, river level shots. These two opposing views—of the artist seemingly in calm control of his environment and, alternately, of his struggle against the forces of nature—also pull the curtain back to reveal the art making process itself.