The narrative next to Lorna Simpsons’ works in the video completely change the way people interpret the painting. Most of her paintings deal with the issue of sex. One example is the clock tower picture with the two clocks next to each other. What seems to be a normal work of art is further explained by the text next to the painting. It tells of a couple trying to figure out the best time and place to engage in their intimate act. They end up deciding on the rooftop conference hall, at a quarter to. I never would have interpreted the painting to mean this, if not for the narrative. This is one of the most dramatic changes throughout all her works.
The reason being I think the clock painting changes the most with the added text starts with the painting’s subject. The painting itself doesn’t include any people in it, so when you are interpreting the painting, people as a subject are probably the last thing on anyone’s mind. The main subject of the painting is the building with a clock on each visible face. The narrative completely changes the subject to a couple trying to find the best place to have sex. No other painting I feel deviates so far from the subject.
Most of the paintings seemed unrelated to the narrative, but the one that stuck out the most was the hotel room work. The narrative begins with the hotel security knocking on the door telling how they do not have privacy like they do in the penthouse suite. The security also makes a little racist comment saying how they violated the rule of too many dark people. This narrative surprised me the most, because it turns a regular hotel room scene into a much darker and vivid image. I believe this painting also relates to the others, because while not truly a public place, the couple still doesn’t have full privacy according to the security