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The Bible Belt

Ligorano Reese

1992 00:04:14 United StatesEnglishColorStereo4:3Video
Tags:
Advertisement(s), Consumer culture, Humor, Religion/Spirituality

Description

The Bible Belt is exactly what its name implies: a belt attached to a bible that comes with a sturdy brass buckle, in the name of "Jesus", dipped in gold. We've created a special television spot of a televangelist selling the belt. Edited as a typical day of channel grazing and zapping, the televangelist plays between "real" television preachers and scrambled porn. The Bible Belt alludes to the wagon train of family values encircling the body politic; scrambled pornography intercut between the televangelists' spots converts the piece into a chastity belt, censoring and paralyzing free thought across the nation. 

The Bible Belt video is part of the installation The Bible Belt, 1992 embedded on an LCD screen in the center of a New Testament Bible. Lower Eastside performance artist Bob Huff plays a televangelist hawking the Bible Belt. Other cast members include Rick Prelinger with cameos by Dan and Marilyn Quayle.

Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese have dedicated themselves to the art of collaboration since they first met in Baltimore. Their earliest collaborations began in video art and performance. Over three decades the artists have created hardware and software art, limited edition multiples, videos, sculptures and installations using a range of materials, traditional and digital processes.

In 2008, they began installing temporary public monuments during the political conventions, a series called melted away. These sculptures of words carved in ice are filmed, photographed and streamed as they melt away and disappear. They have presented 7 sculptures in 10 different cities at the conventions in 2008, 2012, and 2016. Ligorano Reese are currently developing an exhibition of new work, including video on the climate crisis.

Articles about their work have been published in the New York Times, Art Forum, Art In America, the Huffington Post, and seen on television and other media. They have received awards and grants including 3 NYFA fellowships as well as a NEA fellowship, two Jerome Foundation Fellowships, a Puffin grant and a number of artists residencies. They are represented by Catharine Clark Gallery and show edition work with Jim Kempner Fine Art.