By the Sea (2004)

Todd McMillan's video takes inspiration from Caspar David Friedrich's painting, "Monk by the Sea" (1809). Friedrich's monk is believed to be a self-portrait representing the "melancholy man" of the late 18th and early 19th centuries – a period where sadness and solitude were considered ideal for artistic creation. In McMillan's video, he reenacts the painting as a performance, filming himself for 12 hours from dusk till dawn, facing the ocean in search of enlightenment. Ultimately, his extended introspection yields no answers or clarity, leaving him with a persistent sense of longing.