Bruce and Norman Yonemoto: Memory, Matter, and Modern Romance

Hollywood and the language of the media provide the critical backdrop for the work of Bruce and Norman Yonemoto. Their work in video, installation and performance has consistently explored the tensions in representation, the fabrication of memory, and the persistence of romance in the construction of self and group identity. The Yonemotos alternately employ a droll wit and incisive criticality to explore the seduction of filmic representation, whether it be a Hollywood narrative, ethnographer’s tool or home movie. The intention in these projects is not to condemn the media, but to thoughtfully analyze, question and interrogate the implicit assumptions presumed by such representations as well as turn the focus back onto our own desires. Memory, matter and Modern Romance will survey the Yonemotos’ work from 1976 to the present, providing a comprehensive analysis of their work in all its forms, while situating their projects within the larger discussions of cultural identity and the artistic milieu of Southern California.