Early Video Art | Video Data Bank

Early Video Art is a collection of titles that are central to an understanding of the historical development of video art. This collection includes, but is not limited to, many titles from the original Castelli-Sonnabend collection, the first and most prominent collection of video art assembled in the United States. All of the work in this collection was produced between 1968 and 1980. These works represent important examples of the first experiments in video art, and include conceptual and feminist performances recorded on video, experiments with the video signal, and "guerilla" documentaries representing a counter-cultural view of the historical events of the 1960s and 70s. Many of these tapes represent a desire for a radically redefined television experience that is centered on the innovative, the personal, the political and the non-commercial.

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Laurie McDonald

Duet for Tap and Galoshes

1976 | 00:02:40

Duet for Tap and Galoshes, Laurie McDonald

Duet for Tap and Galoshes is a visual restructuring of a real time tap performance, presented in two parts.

Laurie McDonald

Hydroglyphs: Early Morning Drift

1976 | 00:10:42

Hydroglyphs: Early Morning Drift, Laurie McDonald

Hydroglyphs pictographic writing in water, is a work that experiments with the lyrical qualities of shapes, colors, and forms occurring in water reflections and how…

Laurie McDonald

Minute Waltz

1977 | 00:02:41

Minute Waltz, Laurie McDonald

Minute Waltz is a ballet performance recorded on a time-lapse VHS security surveillance recorder borrowed over a weekend from a local bank.

Laurie McDonald

Private Parts

1978 | 00:07:23

Private Parts, Laurie McDonald

Private Parts is a document of a police raid on an alleged pornographic photography exhibition organized by Rhode Island School of Design students and hung in the…

Laurie McDonald

Spinning Ballerina

1977 | 00:01:31

Spinning Ballerina, Laurie McDonald

A magnetic "dancing" ballerina toy, found by Bob, inspired this video of a real ballerina (Laurie McDonald) spinning as if the magnetic coils in an old black and white mid-century Setchell…

Laurie McDonald

Take My Picture?

1973 | 00:03:53

Take My Picture?, Laurie McDonald

Take My Picture? is a comparison of two street characters filmed in downtown Providence, Rhode Island.

Phil Morton

IEVE Aura

1975 | 01:02:38

IEVE Aura, Phil Morton

IEVE Aura features video art created and recorded at the first Interactive Electronic Visualization Event at the University of Illinois Circle Campus.

Laurie McDonald

The Dying Swan

1975 | 00:03:30

The Dying Swan, Laurie McDonald

The Dying Swan is a recreation of the acclaimed ballet — Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova's most famous role — borrowed from its theatrical context and taken back to…

Laurie McDonald

The Sleeping Beauty Waltz

1976 | 00:02:52

The Sleeping Beauty Waltz, Laurie McDonald

A furniture hoist strap encircles Laurie’s waist, lifting and guiding her through this interpretation of the waltz from the ballet “The Sleeping Beauty.” The stage and setting is the parking…