Critical Writing Index

Video Gets a One

by Russell Connor

Video Art: An Anthology, 1976, pp. 164-171

New York; London: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1976

Connor discusses his role in writing and hosting a twenty-two-week video art series --VTR: Video and Television Review -- for WNET, public TV New York, in the spring of 1975. He mentions a concern going in about whether such popular exposure might "kill" the video art movement, recalling for instance historical precedent in the Op Art movement's sudden, arguably damaging rise to fame. The VTR series ended up garnering a "One" Nielson rating (1% of viewing public), and generally enthusiastic viewer response. Included in the remainder of the article are annotations on some VTR programmes dedicated to documentary, community, formalist, and conceptual video, etc., as well as some amusing opinion letters from viewers.

Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited

Gerald Ford's AmericaTVTV

TranscendingIan Hugo

Crossings and MeetingsEd Emshwiller

Scape-MatesEd Emshwiller

The Irish TapesJohn Reilly and Stefan Moore

Illuminatin' Skip SweeneySkip Sweeney

All Across BostonAndy Mann

Three TransitionsPeter Campus

Set of CoincidencePeter Campus

Downtown Community TelevisionKeiko Tsuno, Jon Alpert, and Yoko Maruyama

Global GrooveNam June Paik

The Wit of William WegmanWilliam Wegman

Carel and FerdCarel Rowe and Ferd Egan

Cathode Ray TheatreTom DeWitt

Ama L'uomo Tuo (Always Love Your Man)Cara Devito

Art HerstoryHermine Freed

The Advent of the AdventDavid Silver

Video is Child's PlayJoe Goldman and Teri Mack

Lanesville TVMedia Bus

Hodge PodgeDouglas Davis

QuidditasFrank Gillette

The Tube and the EyePeter Crown and Bill Etra