Video Art
Spring 2022
Digital Art I:
ARTD 7820G
Thursdays 9:30 - 1:10
5207 Boylan
Jennifer McCoy
Office hours WEDS 1pm-2pm or by appointment
jmccoy@brooklyn.cuny.edu
This graduate session is a studio class on the topic of video art. Students, through creative projects, readings, and screenings, will develop a practical and conceptual approach to the medium. Video, although used as an artists' material since the late 1950's, has undergone many transformations both due to technical innovation and shifting cultural and artistic landscapes. Video art today is in such wide use by artists in general that it can seem barely noteworthy beyond a materials footnote. However, Video Art, born during a time of the intersection of television culture, conceptual art, and performance art, retains traces of all of these today. This seminar will provide a useful introduction to Video Art's history, methods, and expressive capacities. Technically, we will look at digital editing and compositing techniques as well as mining the characteristics of the many camera technologies available today.
Julian Rosefeldt’s Euphoria at Park Avenue Armory, 2022. Photo: Nicholas Knight. Courtesy of Park Avenue Armory.
Brody Condon, "Anneleise," 2012.
Cyriak, "Welcome to Kitty City", 2011.
Rachel Rampleman, "Busby Berkeley_203," 2015.
Chris Marker, "Sans Soleil," 1983.
Rashaad Newsome, "Knot," 2014.
Jeremy Blake, Teresa Duncan, Karen Kilimnik, "The History of Glamour," 2000.
Douglas Gordon, "Play Dead; Real Time," 2003.
Vito Acconci, "The Red Tapes," 1976.
View of “Meriem Bennani: Siham & Hafida,” 2017, the Kitchen, New York. Photo: Jason Mandella
• to become familiar with the technical language of digital video production
• to figure out how to speak with video
• to gain working knowledge of video editing
• to screen video art by contemporary artists
• to analyze video art
• to consider multiple modes of working with video
• to consider new forms of distribution (Vimeo, Twitch, social, etc)
Course Requirements
• completion of all projects
• active participation in discussion following screenings
• active participation in readings
Attendance Policy
Because we have extended class time to work on projects, you are expected to attend all sessions. Technical discussions will happen as needed, but in general I tend to cover procedures during the first hour of each class session. Because exercises will be screened, each session must be attended including field trips. There may be evening events/openings to see as well, which you should make every effort to attend.
