video art

jim campbell

It fascinates me that Campbell studied electrical engineering and math, but clearly has an eye for composition and design.  It seems so rare the two sides of the brain intersect in such a way in a person, but when it does, the art is really interesting.  I would never think to create things the way he does, with all of the technical mechanical stuff going on.  I think my favorite works of his are his installations, especially Last Day in The Beginning of March.  Maybe I'm just drawn to things that are a bit morbid, but I really liked this piece.  I thought it especially interesting when the figure appears for a moment amidst the throbbing lights.  The piece called (I think) The End 1996 confuses me.  The statement under the work says: "This work uses a counting algorithm to generate all possible images. Any image that one can think of will eventually show up on this screen."  This baffles me.  How is that possible?  That's beyond the realm of anything I can wrap my head around.  There are so many images to think of...I don't think I understand how this piece works.  I also really like his public art; the collaborative chapel piece is beautiful, as is Scattered Light - one of his works in Madison Square Garden.  Overall I found Jim Campbell really interesting; I'd like to read an artist statement or interview or something he wrote.

piplotti rist

I'm not entirely sure how to feel about Pipilotti Rist's work.  I certainly enjoy the level of fantasy she incorporates into her short films and installations, and the vibrant colors that dominate her films - though sometimes I think this to be overpowering, which is likely the point of employing such bold images.  She is usually classified as a feminist, which I see in some of her works - like the "Open My Glade" or even "Pickelporno" but I wouldn't say she's ultra-radical or anything.  I like her earlier works better; her more recent installations are not really my cup of tea. I think that I struggle with video art because it isn't really the way my mind works, or maybe I just have a really specific aesthetic that I enjoy.  At any rate, I really do like her "Open My Glade" series - it's really interesting that it was played in Times Square, and neat to watch it switch from her smush-face to an advertisement.  I enjoy that.  There's just something about the whimsical nature and colors of her newer installations that doesn't appeal to me. I would be interested to see her feature film, though - Pepperminta.  She's one of those artists I think I need to spend more time with to really get what she's doing or have a concrete opinion about it.