Rodney Graham’s short film City Self / Country Self (2000) shows an elegantly dressed dandy kicking a man from the provinces in the backside during a walk through the city, causing him to lose his hat. Citing slapstick comedy, the artist plays both roles himself. Although the story is told with many anecdotal details, it remains unclear why the attack ultimately occurs.
As with his earlier costume films Vexation Island (1997) and How I Became a Ramblin’ Man (1999), Graham designed this work as a loop, thereby creating a sort of trilogy of 35mm short films.
For the comedic plot of City Self / Country Self, Graham drew on a 19th-century illustrated children’s book as his source. In connection with this work, the eponymous silkscreen wallpaper was produced in 2001, which is also part of Sammlung Goetz’s collection.
