THE 28TH INSTANCE OF JUNE 1914, 10:50AM, MCMXCIII

Director Barbra Politsch / 1993 / USA

The 28th Instance of June 1914, 10:50am, MCMXCIII is an unusual portrait of the lives and art of two quite unusual modern American artists - David McDermott and Peter McGough.

McDermott and McGough hold the view that time, rather than being purely linear, can also exist in parallel with other time periods. To them, various periods are lived at the same time. They believe that through time travel, the basis of our contemporary society is intellectually reflected as well as physically experienced. In the film this is demonstrated in great detail through their lifestyle, furniture, clothing, attitudes and art.

They appear as individuals caught in a time warp, as though life, as it existed on the 28th instance of June 1914, was indeed the ideal time for them. We visit their New York home - a perfect replica of an upper-class home of 1914, we observe their lifestyle - the use of oil lamps, hand washing of all clothes, their use of starched collars, and finally their Sunday drive in an open-topped vintage car (complete with chauffeur) through modern day Manhattan.

We do see some of their artworks, and, once again, these too seem to reflect the styles and artists of the period in which McDermott ind McGough choose to live. Perhaps if one element is missing in this otherwise innovative and intriguing film, it is that it would have been interesting to have seen more of their working methods - as artists. But then again, perhaps their total adherence to the lifestyle of a specific earlier time is as much their art as are the works they produce.

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