A TOUGH DAY AT THE OFFICE
Shanan Kurtz and Gareth Long       2003

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"This video uses footage from the "Law & Order" series in order to celebrate the mundane, routine and largely unnoticed actions inherent in the show’s featured occupations. The criminal investigations and court trials in the show are comprised of suspenseful scenarios and swift, satisfying resolutions – the opposite of real police and lawyer’s work, which often moves at near-glacial pace. The boring and repetitive actions, when removed from their context and highlighted, defuse the drama of the show and become devoid of meaning. They also look really funny.

All images are taken from the first eight episodes of the series’ first season and no footage is repeated."

Shanan and Gareth are members of Toronto-based video art collective 640 x 480.