Critical Writing Index

Video Gets a One

by Russell Connor

Video Art: An Anthology, 1976, pp. 164-171

New York; London: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1976

Connor discusses his role in writing and hosting a twenty-two-week video art series --VTR: Video and Television Review -- for WNET, public TV New York, in the spring of 1975. He mentions a concern going in about whether such popular exposure might "kill" the video art movement, recalling for instance historical precedent in the Op Art movement's sudden, arguably damaging rise to fame. The VTR series ended up garnering a "One" Nielson rating (1% of viewing public), and generally enthusiastic viewer response. Included in the remainder of the article are annotations on some VTR programmes dedicated to documentary, community, formalist, and conceptual video, etc., as well as some amusing opinion letters from viewers.

Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited

Gerald Ford's America – TVTV

Transcending – Ian Hugo

Crossings and Meetings – Ed Emshwiller

Scape-Mates – Ed Emshwiller

The Irish Tapes – John Reilly and Stefan Moore

Illuminatin' Skip Sweeney – Skip Sweeney

All Across Boston – Andy Mann

Three Transitions – Peter Campus

Set of Coincidence – Peter Campus

Downtown Community Television – Keiko Tsuno, Jon Alpert, and Yoko Maruyama

Global Groove – Nam June Paik

The Wit of William Wegman – William Wegman

Carel and Ferd – Carel Rowe and Ferd Egan

Cathode Ray Theatre – Tom DeWitt

Ama L'uomo Tuo (Always Love Your Man) – Cara Devito

Art Herstory – Hermine Freed

The Advent of the Advent – David Silver

Video is Child's Play – Joe Goldman and Teri Mack

Lanesville TV – Media Bus

Hodge Podge – Douglas Davis

Quidditas – Frank Gillette

The Tube and the Eye – Peter Crown and Bill Etra