Blood and Guts in High School

Upstream Gallery will show a series of video's titled 'Blood and Guts in High School' by Laura Parnes. A series of video installations that re-imagine punk-feminist icon Kathy Acker's book of the same title. The book was written from 1978-1982 during the rise of Reagan republicanism and the emergence of punk rock.
In Parnes' interpretation, each video-chapter presents a typical scene in the life of Janie bracketed by US news events from the time period in which the book was written. These events saturate the character's daily experience, informing her adolescent, nihilistic worldview and her desire for rebellion. As the viewer looks back at pivotal historical events (Jonestown Massacre, Moral Majority, Three Mile Island etc.) connections are drawn in relation to our current political situation. From the fashions to the oil crises to the religious fanaticism, the times seem interchangeable.