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emphasising the expressive nature of the gesture in the context of the narrative, effectively demonstrating Bill’s relationship with the unknown woman. Additionally, the moment in Flirt has something mystical about it, suggesting a haptic connection between the two characters that is intimate despite their seeming lack of knowledge of each other. What both these moments highlight, however, is Hartley’s use of gestural modes of performance, where the camera abstracts and isolates units of potential meaning, where context and style supplement and frame other possible meanings.
The conception of performance in this exploration draws on a range of theoretical and analytical frameworks, from film and theatre, as well as from anthropological and sociological work. As Hartley’s use of the
FIGURE 2. A recurring feature of Hartley’s work, the gesture is emphasised by the close-up to focus on the performance sign.
