John Smith and Steve McQueen both incorporate the idea of repetition in their work.

Repetition can cause a visual echo and reinforce certain aspects of the work.

For example in John Smith's Girl Chewing Gum (1976), Smith plays on the idea of repetition in the everyday, putting a narration over the film of everyday people in an everyday setting, going about their daily routines. By narrating the film as if he is "directing" the everyday occurrences, it has the feel of documentary. The black and white 1970's film resonates with ideas of social documentary and programmer of the time such as 'Seven Up' by Michael Apted. By using this 'Big Brother' format, it captures the humorous quality of repetition in the everyday, and by continuously developing a narrative throughout this film, it can relate to today's society with such comparisons as the television show "Big Brother", which uses the same idea of narrating the everyday of the house mates lives in the 'Big Brother House'.

Girl Chewing Gum Still, John Smith (1976)

Similarly, Steve McQueen also played on the idea of repetition in his film Deadpan (1997). This film references the famous Buster Keaton gag sequence in Steamboat Bill Jnr (1928) but abandons the original film narrative. By looping various clips from various angles of the front of a wooden house falling on top of the man, leaving unscathed each time due to the conveniently placed boxed out window, the constant repetition becomes funny and plays on the idea of comedy, just like Smith's use of narration. By continuously building this repetitive narrative also relates to contemporary popular television shows like 'You've Been Framed', which plays on the same idea of repetition.

Deadpan, Steve McQueen (1997)

Similar to the potential risk portrayed in Steve McQueen's Deadpan, is the work of artist duo John Wood and Paul Harrison. For example in their film installation 10x10 (2011) they focus on mundane, everyday objects that are found in office buildings and interact with them in various ways such as hoovering one room dressed in a 'spider man' costume to balancing on a filing cabinet. By experimenting with the everyday routine in a performance aspect of anticipation from the unexpected-finding humour, repetition and the use of mundane are key comedic devices employed in their work, which is similar to the function of the repetition used in Deadpan.

10x10 still, John Wood and Paul Harrison (2011)

McQueen and Wood and Harrison use this obviousness of potential risk in their performance pieces to create anticipation of something funny happening or 'going wrong', whereas John Smith uses the anticipation of what is about to be narrated or 'directed' into the film next, responding to repetition of the everyday in a slightly different, but still humorous way. Considering all 3 artists so far it can be argued that film is a useful medium for humour because it is time-based and allows for both repetition of actions or events and for a build up of anticipation.

The playfulness displayed in John Wood and Paul Harrison's work can relate to the playful yet dark humoured approach in David Shrigley's work. As a  2013 Turner Prize nominee his work does display a child-like manner, especially within his drawings. For example in his drawing Ants have Sex in Your Beer (2007), the scribble-like drawing is very crude and childishly executed in his deliberate technique. This breaks down the barrier between high art, such as paintings from the Renaissance, and low art such as his witty and wry observations on everyday life, if we consider this child-like, idiosyncratic work was nominated at the 2013 Turner Prize. 

Ants have Sex in Your Beer, David Shrigley (2007)

Shrigley's playful yet dark humoured work relates to Wood and Harrison's use of playing/experimenting with the everyday. Although Shrigley doesn't express his take of the everyday through the idea of repetition and using the medium of film like McQueen, Smith and Wood and Harrison, he is very relevant to this enquiry which focuses on the playful aspect used in all of these artists' work in relation to the everyday.

Also in the 2013 Turner Prize, winner Laure Prouvost's work relates to interpretations of the everyday with her playful and comedic take on language barriers. Being a French artist living in the UK, Prouvost is able to break down the language barrier in a personal, light hearted way. For example in Wantee (2013), (which was created as a response to artist Kurt Schwitters for the 'Schwitters in Britain' exhibition at Tate Britain), she narrates and physically directs the camera (just like John Smith's technique used in Girl Chewing Gum) through a quirky, 'story telling' technique. By using this narration she is able to play with what objects we see in this 'lived in' house, pointing out what is real and what isn't, misinterpreting one word as another, making this piece arguably more light hearted compared to the other pieces of work presented above. By also deliberately entitling this piece 'Wantee' which came from a friend's 'Want Tea?' she makes it obvious that she is playing with her own difficulties with the barrier of language, creating a playful, narrative humour from her own personal experience.

Wantee Screen Shot, Laure Prouvost (2013)

Her quirky work relates to Wood and Harrison's incorporation of the everyday. Although Prouvost uses the same medium as the likes of McQueen, Smith and Wood and Harrison, she doesn't focus on repetition but rather the challenges of the everyday in a more personal and interactive way, making her relevant to this enquiry.

In conclusion, all these artists use humour or comedy as a strategy within their work in order to try and relate the everyday world. Repetition can be seen as a technique which has comedic value in popular culture such as television shows, which then makes art work by John Smith and Steve McQueen relevant to this focus when considering how repetition can gives meaning to the daily routine of the everyday. By physically being involved with the everyday, by experimenting it with new ways, creating what we consider as mundane objects to become something new to play with, it also breaks this 'loop' we are stuck in within the everyday routine. By adding in thoughts and personal barriers into this play and personal experimentation artists bring to life aspects of routine that may not be expected to be a focus of culture or art.

Yet these works have the power to focus our attention on aspects of life that may otherwise be overlooked.