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Keith Arnatt «Self Burial» | Self-burial
Keith Arnatt, «Self Burial», 1969
Self-burial | © Keith Arnatt


 
Keith Arnatt «Self Burial» | Self-burialKeith Arnatt «Self Burial» | Self-burialKeith Arnatt «Self Burial» | Self-burialKeith Arnatt «Self Burial» | Self-burialKeith Arnatt «Self Burial» | Self-burialKeith Arnatt «Self Burial» | Self-burialKeith Arnatt «Self Burial» | Self-burialKeith Arnatt «Self Burial» | Self-burialKeith Arnatt «Self Burial» | Self-burial
Germany | Archive / Collection: Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), Cologne
 

 Keith Arnatt
«Self Burial»

With no announcement or further commentary, WDR 3 television inserted into the programmes showing between 11 and 18 October 1969 a series of nine photographs depicting Arnatt gradually sinking into the ground. Two consecutive photos were shown each evening, the first one at 8.15pm, directly after the main news broadcast, the second one in the middle of whatever programme was running at 9.15pm. The enigma was solved at the end of the one-week series by an interview with the artist. As Arnatt explained, the series was not created specifically for TV transmission: 'It was originally made as a comment upon the notion of the «disappearance of the art object». It seemed a logical corollary that the artist should also disappear.'