A look at video art and our perspective of it.

1. VIDEO ART – A
PERSPECTIVE
SCOTT MOORE

2. WHAT IS VIDEO ART?
Video art is the use of video as a contemporary art form often in
installations or as a standalone piece.
Was often seen in the eighties as experimental research.
It disregarded normal film making conventions.
Can be as short as a minute or as long as 6 hours.

3. CHARACTERISTICS
New media art was another named coined for video art has it evolved to
include newer technology.
Known for coming in different types – single channel or installations.
Single Channel – one video broadcasting a set of single images.
Installations- using video along with performance art.
Installations is still the most popular being used in combine a wide range of
topics i.e design, sculpture, electronic.

4. PERSPECTIVE & MEANING
Does perspective change the meaning of video art?
The meaning is never the same for a person, allows for wider discussion
and a chance to hear different views on topics
Different people may mean a different perspective and meaning towards
the art piece but does the artist want it to be that way?

5. QUESTIONS TO ASK
How can you tell what is art?
Is all art good or is it opinion based?
Does this connect to you?
What are the themes being shown?
How does it make you feeling while watching it?

6. KEY FIGURES
Wolf Vostell , his1958 exhibition “Deutscher Ausblick” was considered the
first time someone combined art and video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJq9eh6QsBg
Nam June Paik – made a 1965 music video and many see her as starting
the genre.
Andy Warhol – screen underground films of his art. E.g. his film “Sleep”
showing artist sleeping for 6 hours.
Peter Campus – his innovate use of studio work camera work and video
technology was seen him as one of the key figures for video art in the 70s’

7. GILLIAN WEARING
Wearing was a photographer and video artist who won a turner prize in
1997.
Signs that Say What You Want Them to Say and Not Signs that Say What
Someone Else Wants You to Say (1992–3) was her first video after
Graduation.
She prefers to looking into emotion and unsettling the viewer.
Example of her work 2 into 1 (1997) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36WUgFMDY-M

8. When video began being used by artists, its position within the art world
was clearly ambiguous. Any production made by an artist with a video
camera was considered an art piece within the newly born category of
“video by artists”. It didn’t matter if it was the documentation of a
performance, a lyrical vision of reality or the result of electronic
manipulation of images; the presence of an artist behind the camera was
enough to turn it into video art.
Alonso, Rodrigo, 2005, ISEA Newsletter, # 100

9. CONCLUSION
Art is what the user perceives it to be even if it may not seem like art to
others.
Video art has evolved with times to included a wider from of topics.
Video art can be created from nothing or a simple idea and morph into a
massive multi-layered project such is the creative control the maker has
over it compared to a documentary film.

10. REFERENCES
http://www.roalonso.net/en/pdf/videoarte/desdefinition_ing.pdf
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/sgc-cms/expositions-
exhibitions/arts_mediatiques-media_arts/art_mediatique-media_art-
eng.php
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/video-art.htm
New Media Art (2006) – Tribe & Reese
2 into 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36WUgFMDY-M
Deutscher Ausblick - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJq9eh6QsBg