Video/Art: The First Fifty Years

by Barbara London

The curator who founded MoMA's video program recounts the artists and events that defined the medium's first 50 years

Since the introduction of portable consumer electronics nearly a half century ago, artists throughout the world have adapted their latest technologies to art-making. In this book, curator Barbara London traces the history of video art as it transformed into the broader field of media art - from analog to digital, small TV monitors to wall-scale projections, and clunky hardware to user-friendly software. In doing so, she reveals how video evolved from fringe status to be seen as one of the foremost art forms of today.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, History, Film, Art History

280 pages, Hardcover

First published January 22, 2020

Reviews

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A curated look at the evolution of video as art and the conflicts it has with being recognized in the gallery world and the similarities and differences to related fields such as television and movies. This is a niche read, but enlightening if it interests you. There's a healthy dose of personal anecdotes from MoMA curator Barbara London that brings life and context to the otherwise dense informational bits.

[Moz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive and extensive catalogue of video art, media art and its history with personal anecdotes of London’s relationships with the artists and from working within this field of art.

Interesting notes on how both the artist and the gallery is responsible equally for the upkeep and updating of the media formats.

[Andrew Denes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wealth of knowledge, but the book is more wordy and convoluted than it ought to be. Could have kept my attention and retained more of the information if it was about half as detailed.

I respect how articulate and cultured Barbara is, and I understand it is written as her anecdotal experience alongside the history, but it still feels a little long-winded at times. I did learn about some cool artists that I haven’t heard of before, and dived into more of their work! It truly did open my eyes to more niche video artists outside of the mainstream names like Nam June Paik, Bill Viola, and Tony Oursler.

[Juhee Jang · Rating 5 out of 5]

공부하기!
작가들 찾아보기 + 한국어 버전 찾아보기