[CORPUS LOQUENDI:] SHUFFLE

[CORPUS LOQUENDI:] SHUFFLE

Video

Electrostatics

Electromagnetic interference

"Shuffle...is generally held to be a classic of early conceptual video work. In it, Waterman goes one-on-one with the physics of video technology. These are his notes on his work:'The performer by scraping his feet continually on the rug electrically charges himself. When he feels that he has developed enough static electricity he leans over and touches the tape on the deck which at that moment is recording both itself and the performer. By touching the tape he demagnitizes it so that when the tape is replayed, the broken connection , seen as screen interference, is viewed before he leans over to touch the tape.'Exemplifying the real-time aesthetic which pervaded the reel-to-reel days of video art, Waterman's performance begins once the tape is rolling and ends when the tape runs out. It is boring, but it is not only boring; we pass through boredom, begin to feel the heat and friction on the soles of his feet, wonder how long it will take for the next xharge to build up, begin to think of the wait as a kind of 'drama', think about the effort, struggle, persistence, decision, science and its proofs. This is unedited time, unsponsored time and time that doesn't cheat the eye.But strangely, though we grow to expect it, it is always a surprise when that snowy 'blip' disrupts the screen - before Waterman leans down to touch the tape. It is simple logic, but one that needs mental reconstructing each time we witness its effect and ponder its metaphoric weight: a body that reaches out to affect the future trace it leaves in the world" (-Corpus Loquendi notes

WATERMAN, Douglas

Jan Peacock

1971

Creator: Douglas Waterman

VHS

English

Artist Video (V)

W37 971ac.1-3

30 min.