jərˈmān: Arlington (a sketch) by Michael Woody
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Arlington is derived from the exploration of an archive that details specific facets of the lives of a small group of bikers from the late 1970s. It uses elements of the archive to understand characteristic events and people seen as extreme and marginal, and pieces together particular narratives that suggest their cultural and social values. According to what is revealed in this process, parts of the story are then shuffled, elements are obscured and emphasis is redistributed to address larger questions that explore ideas about liberation and identity.
The piece is developed as a form forward construct. That is, it is meant to reveal the general substrate of its own content and conventions. It is a piece that seems to have fidelity to specific memories and personal narrative, but works reflexively to expose the tenuous nature of history in general.
Arlington is not meant to support any empirical claims regarding the history of its characters or community exactly. In fact, it offers itself as a mediated construct that intentionally compromises such claims, providing fictions in their place, and suggests alternative story telling as a strategy for play and revelation.