Buttered Up
Áine Phillips
Synopsis
Buttered Up tells the story of a performance artist who embarks on an improbable journey to explore the mysterious underworld of domesticity. She uses a practical method of escapology, quantities of butter and a complete suspension of disbelief to undergo an unusual metamorphosis. The protagonist evades the entrapments of domesticity… or does she use the trap itself as a means of escape? Themes of displacement and transformation within the domestic frame are explored with humour in this short film.
Buttered Up developed out of a live performance at the Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh in 2016 where Phillips slowly and deliberately buttered the crevices of a plush sofa before donning swimming cap and goggles, diving into the couch and disappearing completely into the ‘underworld of domesticity'. The Arts Council awarded Phillips a bursary to create a short film of the performance and the following year, 2017, film-maker Vivienne Dick, along with sound artist Slavek Kwi, worked with Phillips on the project to produce the 6-minute video. Buttered Up has been shown at film festivals such as Galway Film Fleadh and Clare Island Film Festival.
Details
Title
Buttered Up
Year
2017
Form
Performance
Key phrases
surrealist, the entrapments of domesticity
Language
None
Duration
00:06:00
Original formats
Digital
Aspect ratio
16:9
Colour
Colour
Sound
Yes