Image Modulator

Image Modulator

Katsuhiro Yamaguchi
1969, 45 sec, color, sound

Description

Yamaguchi writes, "In April 1969, Image Modulator was shown at the Sony Building exhibition Electromagica '69, using three Trinitron color TV monitors behind a glass that created an optical effect. The glass acted as a literal filter, adding a mosaic effect to the video images."

In 1951, with the encouragement of Shuzo Takiguchi, Katsuhiro Yamaguchi formed Jikken Kōbō with Shozo Kitadai, Kideko Fukushima, Toru Takemitsu, Joji Yuasa, Hiroyoshi Suzuki, and Kuniharu Akiyama. The collective's activities revolved around the incorporation of technology into art and supported the emergence of the media art genre in postwar Japan. In 1972, Yamaguchi was a central member of Video Hiroba, and in 1975 he presented his work at the São Paulo Art Biennial. He founded the group Āru Jeni in 1982 and has since produced numerous environmental video installations. Among his seminal works are the Vitrine series, Image Modulator (1969), Las Meninas (1974-75), and Uzu no naka no onna (1977).

Available on

Vital Signals: Early Japanese Video Art
2010, 162 min, color and b&w, sound