Video/Art: The First Fifty Years by Barbara London
Nonfiction
Why it’s significant: If anyone’s qualified to tell the complicated story of the field of video art—from early experimenters in the 1970s like Nam June Paik, to contemporary internet and video game innovators like Cory Arcangel—it’s museum curator Barbara London. London worked at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City from 1970 to 2013, where she founded and maintained the video exhibition and collection programs. She was supporting technology-informed installations and performances well before most critics and institutions got onboard with “media art.” In her fascinating and informative new book, Video/Art, London traces developments in the medium—discussing her efforts at MoMA and the artists she championed in the context of the larger New York, United States, and global art scenes. While taking the reader on a journey that spans everywhere from California and China, to Tokyo and India, Barbara London also answers questions about acquiring and archiving media art, such as: what’s the difference between experimental film and video art, and how can media art that relies on outdated technology be preserved? The art world is lucky to have forward-thinking supporters like London, and we’re equally lucky to now have her narrative down on paper.
Reviewers say: “What makes [London’s] book such a fun read is that it’s not exactly the comprehensive survey its title implies. Instead, it’s as much memoir as exegesis, an idiosyncratic front-line report from a deeply informed, intrepid, and passionate pioneer who is still in the trenches.” –Andrea K. Scott, The New Yorker
Try this next: Wondering how you can experience video art for yourself, especially if you live somewhere without a ton of museum-curated content? You’re in luck! UbuWeb has served as a free internet repository for all kinds of avant-garde art since 1996. Here’s a link to their Film & Video holdings to get started: http://www.ubu.com/film/