Britt
Thomas

Scream Queens

Scream Queens is an 8-channel video installation in which actresses lip-synch the screams of female protagonists from various famous horror movies spanning over sixty years.

Films such as Psycho, The Haunting, Black Sunday, and Halloween shaped the term "scream queen", the horror movie equivalent of the "damsel-in-distress". However, it is impossible to say that media created the persona. It is more likely a society-developed role popularized through media and too often assumed as a public identity. It is not reflective of women, but a pretense that is expected and adopted by many… a facade that is acted out in the public sphere.

In Scream Queens, actresses quickly switch this role on and off, transitioning from a contrived terror to a more accustomed state of composure. The lip-synching emphasizes that the terror is a fraud – an act. This video installation not only reveals the guise of acting, but calls into question female roles in both a humorous and disconcerting manner.

http://britt-thomas.com/artwork/video/scream-queens/