Steve Carr

Burn Out (2009)

4 min 54 secSingle channel / Digital Video / Colour / Silent

"Burn Out is a soundless 16mm film of a young man in a West Auckland street doing a “burn-out”; the process of keeping a car’s handbrake on whilst accelerating, causing the tires to spin, heat up and smoke. The activity is traditionally associated in New Zealand with “bogan” culture. Most burn-out videos are shot close-up with a lot of cutting, heavy music and the screeching of tires as a soundtrack. By contrast, Carr's film keeps the camera stationary, with a single, wide-angle view so that the car is soundless in the middle distance. As a result, the activity’s renegade or illegal status is transformed into a moment of quiet beauty in a suburban landscape."

Artist's statement

Other works by Steve Carr

CIRCUIT is the
leading voice
for artist moving image
practice
in Aotearoa New Zealand,
distributing works,
critical review and
dialogues
which reflect our unique, contemporary
South Pacific context.