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Tacita Dean
English (b. 1965)

Explosions, shipwrecks, and funerals make up the melancholy etchings of The Russian Ending. This work takes as its starting point the fact that Danish filmmakers in the 1920s (a major exporter at the time) would prepare different endings for different audiences. Typically, a film distributed in America would have the requisite happy ending, while the Russian version of the same film would end in calamity.

As a way of reflecting how cultural differences manifest themselves, the 20 images in The Russian Ending are fictional endings of movies, complete with annotated, handwritten “stage directions.” By imagining these calamitous endings, and their incongruence with those of American movies, Dean reflects on how cultures continue to differ.

More information about this artist

Artists / Tacita Dean / Overview

Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Ship of Death
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
The Crimea
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Wrecking of the Ngahere
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Erinnerung aus dem Weltkrieg
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Ballon des Aerostiers de Capagne
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Sinking of SS Plympton
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Death of a Priest
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
La Bataille Darras
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Gotterdammerung
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Der Ruckzug Nach Verdun
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Zur Letzten Ruhe
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Wreck of Worthing Pier
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Story of Minke the Whale
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
So They Sank her
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Life and Death of St. Burno
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Vesuvio
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Tragedy of Hughesovka Bridge
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Die Explosion in dem Kanal
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Beautiful Sheffield
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Ein Sklave des Kapitals
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending, 2001
Sinking of SS Plympton
Etching
59cm x 79.4cm


Work by Tacita Dean is installed at the Booth School of Business.


Work by Tacita Dean is installed at the Booth School of Business.

The Art Collection of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business - 5807 South Woodlawn, Chicago, IL 60637 - art.chicagobooth.edu