Exit Stage Left

“Is nothing sacred? Family life should be private! This is only a family joke.” This was my mother’s response when I told her I was using footage of my father in an artwork. I tried to explain that it is because it is so sacred that I want to share it with people. In this work I’m interested in that moment when the private family joke becomes the public joke; the professional artist becomes entertainer and the artwork becomes entertainment. I ask the questions: If it is entertaining is it still art? Is it ethical for artists to use family members in their work without permission?