19.12.05 Jillian Mcdonald: 'Me and Billy Bob'.
Like a digital Betty Love, JillianMcdonald is the protagonist of a mediated love entitled 'Me and Billy Bob'. However, if the the heroine of LaBute film has been violently shocked and she is unable to distinguish the reality from the soap opera, the canadian video artist is pretty aware of the nature of relationships in this mediated ages. Influenced by mass media, the general public imagines secret affairs with their idols. Therefore, pretending to be a fan of Billy Bob Thorton, Mcdonald creates a love story between the American actor and herself, editing a video where the scenes are clips from his films and superimposing her image on all of them. The plot is typical of a romantic-comedy, from the first date to the crush. The scenes are in slow motion and an intimate country ballad, Starlight Lunge, performed by Billy Bob himself, provides the soundtrack. The overall effect is at the same time exhilarating and sad, especially watching the video through the hypertext frame, a fan site, where she has uploaded it and where the attention of the viewer is focused on the romantic obsession of a delusional Thorton fanatic.
Valentina Culatti