With a title like this, you know that Rachel Scott is up to something big and complex. Seen here in a production still from her 10-minute black and white video, Scott conjurs up the sinister side of surf culture as she waxes on in her hoodie to a soundtrack that includes grabs from David Lynch's 'Twin Peaks'. The phrase: "I want you, I want you", whispers out from the background as she inexpertly applies wax to two old surfboards, messing up her long, painted fingernails in the process. Scott purchased the boards online for just $45 and the experience of going to collect them from a dodgy dude in Bronte is described in a text based work displayed outside the darkened projection room. But this blog-like document from Sunday 22nd November, 2009, has also been coated with a thick layer of wax making it virtually impenetrable to the viewer. Likewise, another framed text recounting a dream in which she is waxing three surfboards given to her by her mother is obscured with black duck tape.
What I love about this work, apart from the tension that's created through a strange mixture of paranoia and humour, is the magic that's captured within the frame that Scott has set up for herself. Behind her there's always some action like guys surfing or waiting for their mates after coming out of the water. There's even a jogger who conveniently stops mid distance and checks his watch before moving on. And if you let your imagination run riot, you can even sense the presence of a shark patrolling the waters, scoping out the legs of the last man surfing.
