One Step Ahead – Stefan Nadelman (2004, 9MB, 4:07)
Stefan Nadelman is Tourist Pictures, and since I like
his older stuff just as much (or more than) the new,
I’m posting this Nike-commissioned piece from a few years ago.
Author Archives: brittany
David Phillips and Paul Rowley
Phillips & Rowley – latent heat (2004, 7.7MB, 3:25)
Phillips & Rowley – personal effort (2004, 2.1MB, 1:41)
Lovely, engaging work from this talented duo, originally
from Dublin and Memphis respectively. These two pieces
showcase some earlier work, but their later work is equally
enchanting. I’m particularly fond of their installation work,
but we’ll save that for another day.
Harrell Fletcher – Blot Out The Sun
Harrell Fletcher – Blot Out The Sun (2002, 46.7MB, 5:32)
Harrell Fletcher’s 2002 unconventional remake of Ulysses.
A garage in central Portland, Oregon is the setting for this
conceptual re-working of James Joyce’s Ulysses. The garage
owner, Jay, mechanics and neighborhood denizens serve as
narrators, reading lines from the novel that focus on death,
love, social inequality and the relationship between individuals
and the universe.
A five minute clip from the 22-minute piece featured in the
2004 Whitney Biennial
Jeremy D. Slater
Jeremy D. Slater – Manic Chinatown Bicycle (2007, 15.6MB, 2:01)
Jeremy D. Slater – Kanjiscroll (2007, 11.1MB, 0:41)
Two travel videos – albeit different sorts of it –
from Jeremy Slater, who primarily works in sound.
But I like his video work – minimal, often observational
in one way or another – so here are two samples.
Amelia Winger-Bearskin – State of Things
Amelia Winger-Bearskin – State of Things (2007, 19.9MB, 8:58)
Amelia Winger-Bearskin makes fun, funky performance pieces
and has a couple on her website worth viewing.
This is my favorite piece from her Chroma Key series.
Try swearing for nine minutes straight and see
how successful you are.
Two from Blip Boutique
Blip Boutique – Not In Love (2007, 30.2MB, 1:28)
Blip Boutique – 24 in 60: hollywood (2007, 18.8MB, 1:14)
Two shorts from 2007, from Blip Boutique,
makers of fine viral, art, and music videos
Richard Jochum’s group self portraits
Richard Jochum, Selfportrait as a Group #5 (2006, 14.5MB, 3:33)
Captured by Richard Jochum, proof that a photograph is much
more than we ever see: a collection, a collective process,
the self interconnected.
Two from David Fincher
The Motels – Shame (1985, 18.7MB, 3:59)
Rick Springfield – Celebrate Youth (1985, 25.6MB, 3:58)
Before directing features like Se7en, Zodiac, and Fight Club,
badass David Fincher made some awesomely 80s music videos.
He continues to make solid music videos for more
contemporary acts, favoring the short form to the
Hollywood machine. These lyrically poor videos
serve as proof that you too can film talking billboards,
windy alleys full of teens, use the color-pass effect,
and still go on to direct such hits as Alien 3.
Duncan Speakman – Is Life Boring?
Duncan Speakman – Is Life Boring? (2005, 5.3MB, 1:17 min.)
From Duncan Speakman (yes, his real name) and the now abandoned 29fragiledays.
Duncan moved onto the less populated Delicate Museum, but I enjoy his older work much more (maybe because there is simply more of it?).
No contrived voice-overs (at least not at first), I’m also given enough time to meditate on the video.
Sometimes short is too short.
This is one of the best pieces from his previous incarnation.
Glimpse of the Garden
Marie Menken – Glimpse of the Garden (1957, 36.2MB, 5:04)
Marie Menken, avant-garde filmmaker of the 1940s, 50s,
and 60s – in addition to being the inspiration for
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and a Warhol
superstar – made inspirational work from a time we seem
to overlook too much today. The garden here belongs
to one of her husband’s former male lovers, and while
Menken was often criticized for being quaint in her displays,
her style is an obviously feminine one that hides much
deeper meaning in ordinary but stunning visuals.
Eric Lerner – Mr. Deja Vu
Eric Lerner – Mr. Deja Vu (2006, 27.2MB, 3:48)
From Eric Lerner‘s collection of Mr.CityMen.
Patrick Power – lights and darkness
Steamlight (2006, 16.2MB, 2:51)
Watauga (2007, 203.1MB, 26:23)
Two extraordinary pieces from Patrick Power.
Its as if the Qatsi trilogy found a way to use a videoblog as a testing ground.
This is much more than a test, though.
Some of the most important work I have seen in a while.
Beautifully touching randomized archives.
Pushing the limits of contemplative observation.
Taking time to visually visit other places.
There is so much beauty in reflections and the synchronicities of our minds.
Sample these two, then go visit the rest of his collection. Patrick makes the world watchable.
Edit: Sadly, Patrick Power passed away in 2007. This post was created to honor this man’s work, and now sadly, we must honor that work as his legacy.
MGM 1975
Jack Goldstein – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1975, 16.2MB, 2:10)
An endlessly cyclical Hollywood, summed up in two minutes,
over thirty years ago. Still relevant and all too real.
Semiotics of a Kitchen
Martha Rosler – Semiotics of a Kitchen (1975, 18.3MB, 6:29)
An A-Z look at the tools of a kitchen, of domesticity,
of the self in the midst of frustrated ennui.
Historically significant feminist performance art that reminds us,
“When the woman speaks, she names her own oppression.”
Rosler is one of my favorites.
Abbie Hoffman and gefilte fish
Abbie Making Gefilte Fish (1973, 156.4MB, 21:04)
Footage of Abbie Hoffman making gefilte fish with Laura Cavestani
(who made the video) in his kitchen, 1973.
Like Abbie, I think art is in the everyday, and it sure is a fun
(and rather informative) twenty minutes if you’ve got it to spare.
Art for Abbie was education, constant revolution, evolution, and living for free.
Art and freedom were one in the same, inextricable from each other.
We miss you man.
Two from Jade Enterprises
jade – takethebus (2002, 3.6MB, 1:37)
jade – jet (2003, 2.4MB, 0:17)
Older experimental clips from Austria’s Michaela
Schwentner, also known as jade enterprises.
What makes for a grievable life?
What makes for a grievable life? – Ashley Watson (2009, 19.2MB, 5:39)
From Ashley Watson, a truly poignant piece about
how we choose to value certain lives and not others.
H/t to my friend Deb
Sophie TV
Hans Lo – How TV Works (2009, 9.7MB, 2:15)
Series of educational videos made by Hans Lo
for his young niece Sophie.
Private Screening
Charlene Rule – Private Screening (2009, 10.9MB, 1:38)
Lovely view from Scratch TV.
Two from RBG6
RBG6 – Yasuragi (2008, 5MB, 0:20)
RBG6 – Colour (Sony) (2008, 38.6MB, 2:34)
Two short ad pieces from Swedish studio RBG6
Stayin’ Alive
Bee Gees – Stayin’ Alive (1977, 11.4MB, 3:51)
I’m pretty sure I have a nonsexual crush on Barry Gibb.
Doesn’t he have amazing hair?
Meanwhile, is anyone else bothered that this video
was made on a soundstage? It looks so real. And it
was over thirty years ago. Did they really have to get
so advanced so early on? You’re too good to walk on
some legit, actual piers, guys? Tragic, but still fabulous.
Sorry I’m Late
Tomas Mankovsky – Sorry I’m Late (2009, 24.9MB, 3:11)
Lovely short film Sorry I’m Late.
Fun and engaging and very well done.
My only criticism: I know it’s important to
include proper credits, but must they be as
long as the piece itself?
What Makes Me White?
What Makes Me White? (2009, 9.4MB, 3:21)
New short film by award-winning director A.M. Sands
about race, privilege, memory, and experience.
What Makes Me White? official site.
The Clock Clock
Humans Since 1982 – The Clock Clock (2009, 3.3MB, 1:03)
By Humans Since 1982
Via the YouTube
New Friends – David Shrigley
David Shrigley – New Friends (2009, 4.5MB, 1:00)
From David Shrigley
Because who doesn’t like new friends?
White Piano – Timothy McConville
Timothy McConville – White Piano (2009, 26.7MB, 2:21)
Video by Timothy McConville for his own band
Duchess’ song “White Piano”
Jared Eberhardt for CSS
CSS – Alcohol (2007, 17MB, 3:00)
Video for CSS by Jared Eberhardt
Ramon and Pedro – Brazil
Ramon and Pedro – Brazil (200?, 31.8MB, 2:50)
From “two directors behind one camera is better
than two cameras into one director’s behind” duo
Ramon and Pedro.
Via Partizan.
Everyone Everywhere
The Landjugend – Everyone Everywhere (2007, 64.5MB, 3:56)
Made from the music of fifteen artists, for/in collaboration
with bizarro record label Cock Rock Disco, by
The Landjugend, which is Markus Feder & Martin Sulzer.
Stepback
Stepback by Lisa Lindley-Jones – WIZ (2007, 24.4MB, 3:27)
Music video for “Stepback” by Lisa Lindley-Jones.
By WIZ via Factory Films