A semi-portable structure, outfitted with a hand-crank and a tiny guitar amplifier. When a person cranks the handle the 2002 State of the Union Address is broadcast through the amplifier via an old speech synthesizer. Cranking faster or slower, or even in reverse, produces a new and distorted performance of the speech.

Although this instrument is overtly about politics, it has less to do with making a blunt statement (like John Heartfield inspired punk rock collage) than it does with encouraging play, participation, and interpretation. If anything, it is supposed to draw attention to the machine behind the man - especially the speechwriters and voice coaches who direct Bush’s utterances down to the syllable.

This piece was expanded to a larger installation in Churchillian 2. Many thanks to Tom Jennings and his Story Teller for help and inspiration.