Physical description:
1974, 8:33 min, black and white, sound digital betacam created by Electronic Arts Intermix on 9/27/2010. Fujifilm D321 Digibeta NTSC format (resolution is 720x480) cassette size is S (holds up to 40 minutes). Digital Betacam records component video with 10-bit YUV 4:2:2 compression. The bitrate is 90 Mbit/s. There are five audio channels - four main channels (uncompressed 48KHz PCM) and one cue track.
Content description:
On the tape Baldessari writes a series of Italian phrases and their English translations in chalk on a slate. While an Italian song a cliched, emotive ballad plays in the background, he manipulates a small plastic mannequin in imitation of the gestures in the guidebook. Phrases such as "It's of no interest to me" and "It makes me furious" are sequenced as if from a surreal conversation between an English speaker and an Italian. The Italian Tape plays with the meaning of language and its representation. Appropriating lines from a guidebook to Rome, Baldessari writes a series of Italian phrases and their English translations in chalk on a slate. While an Italian song - a cliched, emotive ballad - plays in the background, he manipulates a small plastic mannequin in imitation of the gestures in the guidebook. Phrases such as "It's of no interest to me" and "It makes me furious" are sequenced as if from a surreal conversation between an English speaker and an Italian. The phrases take on an oblique, cryptic life of their own: "What does it mean?" "What is it?" and "What are you looking for?" seem to be addressed to the viewer as spectator and interpreter, as well as an enigmatic dialogue between fictional characters in a narrative about art.
