Video Art Notes

4 Major areas of video art
Video Installations; extended sculptural formats through the use of video technology
Live and prerecorded video; video is either prerecorded and played back on a transcription device, or captured on-site and processed and projected in a live setting.
Image-processed video; utilize synthesizers like the one developed by nam jun paik to alter the video waveform electronically.
A video which usually contains a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events throughout its running time.

Charles P. Ginsberg; first to research and develop the first practical Video Tape Recorder (1951). Converted information to electrical impulses; converted onto magnetic tape.
In 1965, Sony introduced the first video player for home use. Betamax; pre- VCR

Artists started using video as a media; First exhibition exploring video’s possibility was “TV as a Creative Medium” with 12 artists including Nam June Paik.
Exhibited May 1969
Many were interactive and participatory; Wipe Cycle transposed present-time demand to disrupt video’s flow of information.

-Nam Jun Paik; father of video art
Also interested in music and performance; started to add video to this
Collaborated with Charlotte Moorman, a cellist. Added video to her body and to cellos

Brian Eno; “I see video as a picture medium rather than a narrative medium. Video for me is a way of configuring light, just as painting is a way of configuring paint.”
Thursday Afternoon- required viewer interaction; had to turn television onto its side

Mid- 80’s; PXL-2000 became popular; $100 home-video maker, geared towards children. Commercial flop, but resurfaced a decade later as the choice tool for many video artists
Sadie Benning; first artist to become known for using Pixelvision. Started at 16; father bought her a camera. Started to use camera for a video diary
Michael O’Reilly; glass jaw, used toy keyboard and pixelvision to document his experiences with healthcare

Pipilotti Rist; Swiss- based video artist; started out as punk rock musician. Incorporates teenage angst and unrequited love into her pieces, does things such as “sip my ocean”, involving her music and video.

Gillian Wearing; “Drunk”. Live performance-esque video

Paul Slocum; hacks atari cartridges, creates music

Matthew Barney
Considers himself a sculptor; scultpures incorporated into films as part of complex environments. The sculptures, banners, and drawings,
Characer; each selection from the Cremaster series focuses on one character. All protagonists undergo a rite of passage and overcome physical and emotional challenges.
Genre and Narrative;
Each film has a distinct look invoking a specific time period and style. Includes; gothic western, aryan films, road movies, romanic tragedies, musicals