“Landois’ argument with God is a digital-age extension of a distinguished literary tradition with satiric barbs as pointed as Mark Twain’s in Letters from the Earth.”
DAN GODDARD, SAN ANTONIO CURRENT
Star-Crossed II (2013) employs a ranchera love song, Se Me Hizo Fácil, to narrate a woman’s break-up with Jesus. The Spanish lyrics scroll behind her as she sings, accompanied by her own voice on a loop pedal. Halfway through the performance, the English subtitles radically diverge from the lyrics to reflect her thoughts, both humorous and haunting, on a dying romance. The first incarnation of this piece was a live performance at the McNay Art Museum in 2012 for He Said/She Said, curated by Chris Davila, and the video was later featured in the 2013 Texas Biennial.
Don’t Explain (2015)combines visuals inspired by sacred statuary with an a cappella soundtrack of 20th century jazz standards sung in monastic harmonies. Lyrics of the songs “Don’t Explain” (1946) and “Guilty” (1931) are used in this context to convey the conflicted emotions that come with carrying a child, and the relationship between motherhood, sexuality, and bodily integrity. Words of longing and guilt counter and complement the protagonist’s unflinching gaze toward the viewer and the heavens. This video is formatted to be shown in a vertical orientation, either by projection or on a wall monitor turned sideways.
