In this footage, JoAnn Elam follows postal workers during a protest that their unions organized in Washington, D.C., in the late 1970s. Prominently featured are signs from representatives of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) and the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), of which Elam was a member. Following the daytime protests, Elam also
“David” begins with a young man, JoAnn Elam’s brother David, in a tree in an unidentified backyard, possibly in Chicago. The camera follows as he contorts his body to shake fruit loose from the tree, ending with succesful drops in the garden below. A gardener herself, Elam’s filmmaking shows her interest in documenting the labor
Two black cats-frequent players in JoAnn Elam’s work-wrestle and play on the floor of a home, the camera racing to track their rapid movements.
Footage of dirt bikes on a course, Frisbee-throwing in a park, dogs, cars, bicycles, and baseball are intercut in this fast-paced film, which frequently draws parallels across the disparate players in the montage of movement. “Focus On” was originally stored with prints of a number of JoAnn Elam’s exhibited works, suggesting a significance to her
Similar to other garden films in the JoAnn Elam Collection, “Garden 84” features Elam and, briefly, her second husband Joe Hendrix, at work in Elam’s Logan Square garden. Occasionally utilizing experimental techniques like fast-motion or rapid editing, the film shows different stages of gardening, from preparing and planting plots of land to reaping the harvest
Alabama” begins with a large, multigenerational family posing for a photograph in a rural environment, presumably in Alabama. After breaking their pose, they enjoy a picnic together. Approximately halfway through the runtime, the film changes from black and white to color and explores in close detail roosters and John Deere farming equipment nearby. Due to
Filmed looking over a busy highway at night, “Headlights” documents and abstracts the headlights of cars coming toward the camera on the left and the taillights of those driving away on the right. As the film progresses, its editing becomes more frenetic, changing the speed and motion of the cars with it.
Ice Lakes – Garden 1 ’84” begins with footage of ice clinging to docks along Lake Michigan on the north side of Chicago, the cityscape visible in the background. An unidentified man walks along the shore. Approximately halfway through its runtime, the film switches to show JoAnn Elam planting seeds in her garden in the
Home movie of a visit to the National Mall and nearby museums in Washington, D.C. Museums and landmarks depicted include: the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the Washington Monument, the Smithsonian Institution Building (“The Castle”), the triceratops statue Uncle Beazley (before its move to the National Zoo in 1994),
Garden #2″ documents JoAnn Elam, her second husband Joe Hendrix, and an unidentified man in the backyard garden of Elam’s Logan Square apartment in Chicago. The camera appears to be passed from person to person as it records them tending the garden, barbecuing, and drinking Old Style beer while playing with a cat. This film