TJ Wilcox Hadrian and Antinous and The Little Elephant

Hadrian and Antinous and The Little Elephant are two new 16mm films by American artist T.J. Wilcox, whose Funeral of Marlene Dietrich was shown at HQ in 1998.

Wilcox‟s films collage his own footage with images from cinema, television, and handmade animation into mythical romantic narratives. Hadrian and Antinous is the story of the extraordinary passion that existed between the Roman Emperor and a thirteen year old Greek boy, an 'ideal contained in beauty'. Passion and immortality are united as Antinous offers his beauty and youth as a sacrifice to save the sick and dying Hadrian. The 10-minute film includes shots of ancient sculptures and Roman architecture, extracts from the movie “Cleopatra”, cartoons and a contemporary reconstruction of Antinous's moment of immolation.

The Little Elephant combines the story of the children‟s classic, Babar the Elephant, with The Elephant Man and The Man Who Fell to Earth. This construct tells a universal tale of the terrified alien lost in the metropolis. The frightened and tormented 'elephant' finds redemption only through the love and care of a kindly stranger.