Discs

Steina and Woody Vasulka

1970, 5:24 min, b&w, sound

Famous Quotes From Art History

Michael Smith

2001-2003, 1:20 min, color, sound

Produced by the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, Smith's short video parodies the sort of cultural and educational programming interlude that one might see on European or American public television. Smith drolly recites the bon mots of Henri Matisse, in French, and then executes Matisse's suggestions with hilarious literalism.

How To Draw

William Wegman and Mark Magill 

1983, 5:41 min, color, sound

In this short parody, Wegman plays an earnest drawing professor — a character that recalls television's Mr. Rogers — who demonstrates to Mark Magill's eager student how all drawing is based on "natural shapes" and how one can "learn by doing." Employing the stylistic conventions of a low-budget...

RSG-THPS4-2

Radical Software Group (RSG)

3:30 min, color, sound

The Sad Robot

Forcefield

1996, 2:08 min, color, sound

In The Sad Robot a friendly-looking robot is struck by a laser in a field.

Video I

Forcefield

1996, 2:20 min, color, sound

Video I appears to be a short story without resolution. We are given the following disparate clues: A repetitive, static-like noise; flashing portraits of a stuffed, chattering robot; overlapping, abstract animations; and images of walking and tapping knit booties.

Video II

Forcefield

1996, 2:10 min, color, sound

In Video II, three shrouded, hypnotically bobbing characters are animated by a continuously rolling moon, abstract flashing blobs, and a repetitive electronic soundtrack. They then scatter from one end of the screen to the other.