Powers 1984

Eisert Hall grew up in Canada during the time of World War II. She recalls air force planes doing drills in the skies of Alberta; the news explaining the tragedies taking place in Europe; and Hitler's voice over the radio. Powers 1984 is tied to these memories and to the Cold War years of the 1960s that she also lived through. Eisert Hall saw the relationship between George Orwell's novel 1984, in the sense of Big Brother watching over everyone and controlling behaviour with surveillance; and the geopolitical situations of her time. She also tied in findings from social psychology's Stanford Prison Experiment (1971) led by Philip Zimbardo, in that people will behave variously according to the contexts they are in. They can behave in surprising ways that seem against their better nature. These concepts were used to point to self reflecting on situations that shape who we are. What happens to us when we find ourselves in violence-generated power structures, such as in a time of geopolitical tension and governmental surveillance on citizens?

Using mirrors and veils to signify self reflection, Eisert Hall asks the viewer: "Who are you in these situations?"

Eisert Hall received a Canada Counsel for the Arts award to create this project in 1984. This consisted of a research trip to New York, Rome, and Florence. It included three major works: A Prisoner's Story; Choice, See, Hear, Say, do Nothing; and Powers 1984. Altogether, this large scale project used a canvas surface of 424 square feet.