MATTHEW BUCKINGHAM
             
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Interview With a Cultural Follower and Public Space Inhabitant
 

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1999
Continuous color video with sound, 20 minutes,
take-away photo-copy pamphlet, dimensions variable
 
Between 12:15 and 12:45 PM on June 17th, 1999, I attempted to interview several  members of the Family Ploceidae known as the English Sparrow, House Sparrow, Weaver Finch, or Passer Domesticus  residing in Battery Park, Manhattan. Using bird seed and small pieces of bread I succeeded in attracting many potential interview subjects but failed to record any information concerning the family background, origin, and individual habits of one of the most common birds of North America. The resulting video tape, showing my efforts, has been subsequently exhibited in outdoor public spaces in New York and other cities where sparrows may be found. A take-away pamphlet giving background information on the attempted interview accompanies the piece.
 
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