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Dan Howard-Birt, The Ballad of John Henry, 2007 |
18.
GONNA DIE WITH A HAMMER IN MY HAND BY THE WILLIAMSON BROTHERS AND
CURRY, 1927 REMIX: DAN HOWARD-BIRT, BALLAD OF JOHN HENRY (GONNA DIE WITH MY HAMMER IN MY HAND), 2007 The artist describes his response to the John Henry myth as follows: “The tale of John Henry's valiant battle against the machine is one of such fame that it almost felt too big to get involved with. But coming across more and more versions of this tale, with different names, emphasis and even outcomes for the doomed protagonist, I felt easier about adding a tiny mote to this mountain. Henry's call to his Captain “Man Ain't Nothing But A Man”, both noble and humble, suggested itself as an ample epitaph, both for the man John Henry and for his tale as it evolves through it's own re-telling.” Dan Howard-Birt currently works in Dundee. He has recently exhibited at D.U.M.B.O. Arts Centre, New York, Pump House Gallery, London and NGCA, Sunderland. |
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