Made for TV Movie

1990

Television Monitor
16mm Filmstrip
Black Masking Tape
Dimensions (Variable)
Video Media (Variable and Site Specific)

During the late 1970s and early 1980's I made a series of photographic and sculptural works that explored ways of representing a range of essential cinematic "ideas," outside of conventional cinematic grammar. I made paper films -- some of them found objects re-imagined -- photographic collages, assemblages of cardboard and other materials, and a wide range of other conceptual works, all in search of alternative ways of expressing my love of cinema without necessarily making (actual) films.

MADE FOR TV MOVIE puts a clear 16mm filmstrip (12 frames) -- with frame-lines -- over the front surface of a television monitor that has been completely covered with black masking tape. The matting of the 16mm filmstrip television on the monitor surface allows for a cinematic reading of the video image – a stream of ever-changing electronic/kinetic abstractions seen dancing through the frame-lines. Many variations of this work have been made, including both horizontal and vertical orientations of the 16mm filmstrip. Media used in this installation can be live or pre-recorded, depending on site-specific conditions. The work was conceived as silent, but sound maybe be played – again based on site-specific conditions.