NAIL BITER ©2002 Edition of 6 2 minutes 45 seconds Shot with an infrared night vision camera and framed in a vertical format, “Nail Biter” acts as a time lapsed portrait of obsessive-compulsive habits, which progress to destructive and absurdly exaggerated states. The video is filmed in one seamless take from a limited frontal camera angle. The camera slowly zooms in on the figure and acts as a tool to document the awkward scenario enacted before it. The video takes place in a darkened cabin in the middle of the woods. A young boy sits in bed and nervously bites his nails. As he chews away at his fingertips, his nails continue to regenerate and grow. The repetitive motions become almost masturbatory as his pace quickens with time and hundreds of nail shards accumulate around him. The soundtrack is comprised of a steady heartbeat, owls and other woodland noises, which acts like a metronome, keeping time for the videos frenetic pace. The tension mounts and a seemingly mundane, everyday, nervous habit unfolds into a simultaneously horrific and humorous portrait of a young boy’s neurosis.
