The beggar in the suit

“Have you seen the guy with the sign?” Many commuters over the last month have asked that question about EWU art student Gabriel Brown. Dressed in a second hand suit and holding a funny sign, Brown has been panhandling every weekday morning on a downtown corner. I received a press release from Brown that said:

“I am doing this for many reasons. It is a way to give
people "pure" entertainment: no advertisements, no
charges, no responsibilities. And it is live, not seen
on T.V. live, but really live. This also brings people
enjoyment; they look forward to seeing me every morning.
It is comedy, but it always begs a question.
I poke at a range of social and political issues that
are important to me.” Brown is also making a video movie of his morning ritual. He videotapes himself waking up, putting on the suit, and standing on the corner. Each day in his movie lasts for about a minute. He plans to do a gallery show about the project that will incorporate the movie and funny signs he’s made. This video was challenging to make. I used all the skills I have learned to date. My edit was all about sequencing the shots and making sure to show what Gabriel is talking about.

Section:Video