Further Japanese Video Programs in LA

[Jonathan M Hall]

About Video Art in Japan

The first portable video camera was developed in Japan by Sony in 1964,
but Japanese artists did not begin to work extensively with this new
medium until they had been exposed to work by artists from North America
and Europe. The influence of western conceptual art shows strongly in much
Japanese video from the 1970s, but the focus is quite different. Japanese
artists focused more on video as a communication tool capable of creating
new situations that modify social behavior, and they explored the formal
and technical capabilities of video in great depth. For example, Japanese
artists experimented with single- and multi-camera live feedback setups
well into the 1980s. Japanese artists also engaged in a careful dissection
of the formal and poetic complexities allowed by editing and were
unaffected by the headlong rush into narrative being pursued in other
parts of the world.

The earliest works in the program focus on instances in which artists
began to incorporate video imagery or technology into 16mm films, often in
search of new visual effects for psychedelic work and animation. Pieces
from the 1970s tend to focus either on formal explorations of the
live-feedback system or the social and political possibilities of video.
In the 1980s, work became far more playful and humorous and introduced
complex editing techniques. By the later 1980s, video art became nearly
indistinguishable from television, reflecting a culture becoming saturated
by electronic media. Many artists were lured by lucrative careers in the
booming media market, while others began pursuing installation and
interactive works based on computers and other new forms of technology.


Program 2: Aesthetics & Politics
Wednesday, May 2, 7:30 p.m.
Getty Center, Harold M. Williams Auditorium
Please note that this event was previously scheduled to be held at MOCA on
April 25.


Program 3: Video Letter
Wednesday, May 23, 7:30 p.m.
MOCA Grand Avenue, Ahmanson Auditorium
Reservations are required. For reservations, please call MOCA at (213)
633-5373.

How to Get Here
The Getty Center is located at 1200 Getty Center Drive in Los Angeles,
California, approximately 12 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
Parking is $8. See Hours, Directions, Parking for maps and driving
directions.