It is certainly refreshing to be reminded that “video art” is not limited to the shocking-for-shock’s-sake, art-school, smoking-in-the-halls self-indulgence that is so often invoked by the term. That is to say, I feel like it is hard to come by thoughtful work outside of a museum or gallery. I was pleased to be introduced to the video of William Lamson.
Think Globally, Act Locally by William Lamson [Watch the video]
Vital Capacity by William Lamson. [Watch the video]
Duel by William Lamson. [Watch the video]
I particularly like the sense of the sterile (science) experiment in these experimental (art) films, and the execution — whatever the variables, be they bananas, needles, or balloons — comes to reveal a unique mix of whimsy and tragedy. There are real, if anonymous, people, earnestly participating in these tests, and an undercurrent of quiet, societal violence and self-induced torture runs alongside the goofiness of these stages. Other pieces play with this what-will-happen attitude, with less alarming — even charming — results. Either way, it is difficult not to grin while being pulled into continuous viewings of Lamson’s curious research.