Gary Kibbins describes new conceptual "tendencies" found in the flourishing arena of video art production by Canadian artists in the 1990s, in contrast with those of the 1970s and 1980s. Comparing its technological modes of production to propaganda, Kibbins employs John Smith's artistic career and video Flaming Creatures as an example of contemporary artistry that defies conventions through use of irony, metaphor and invoking what he calls "the irreducible"--moments of experiential depth that are hardly representable.