How to go
What: New Media Festival, a Blue Sky Project
Where: ArtStreet Studio B, University of Dayton
When: 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18
Cost: Free
More info: (937) 732-5123 or www.blueskydayton.org
Other artists with work in the New Media Festival
Alberto Aguilar, Chicago
Malic Amalya, Seattle
Stephen Ausherman, Albuquerque, N.M.
Rory Golden, New York
Joyce Lee, Baltimore
Jeannette Louie, West Orange, N.J.
Kaz McCue, Glen Harbor, Mich.
Mandy Morrison, Staten Island, N.Y.
Tomorrow you have a chance “To Go” to a “Cinema” to see a “rEvolution,” or maybe “Drift” into a “Nature Memoir.” All these words are parts of video art titles created by three Dayton-area artists, plus eight others from across the country. The short films will all be part of the New Media Festival at ArtStreet on Saturday.
“The idea came from the Blue Sky program committee. We have had incredible video artists over the past seven years,” said Peter Benkendorf, Blue Sky founder and cocreator. “We wanted to showcase their work and continue to encourage video artists to apply to Blue Sky.”
And what better way to encourage them than by featuring nationally known video artist Jud Yalkut?
Yalkut’s work is a collaboration from the 1960s with Korean performance/video artist Nam June Paik. The video incorporates parts 2, 3 and 4 from a five-part series called “Cinema Metaphysique.” The audio features compositions by Paik and Kosugi, a Tokyo composer, and Zen monks chanting.
“In the old days when film was transferred onto television, the outside edges wouldn’t be seen. The part that was seen was called the ‘safe zone,’ ” said Yalkut, from his home in Waynesville. “It’s a non-video, video film. Paik and I decided to do a series of films that would take place on the outer edges of the frame.”
For instance, in part 2 everything on the screen will be happening in a vertical band on the left side. In part 3, the action will take place along the bottom of the screen. And part 4 will go against all rules of videography by using a split-screen, with interplay between the two. The imagery on the screen that can be seen is abstract performance art by Paik and Kosugi. The entire film takes 12 minutes.
“I like the piece; it was a precursor of structural film that is also humorous,” Yalkut said.
“But I’m also looking forward to seeing all the work that is being shown, particularly new work by the young people.
“There are always new visions to see.”
One of these new visions is rendered by Tess Cortes, coordinator of Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries at Wright State University in Fairborn.
“My video is an untitled landscape, a nonnarrative with no beginning or ending,” said Cortes.
“It’s an exploration of Dayton’s cityscape.”
The other Dayton artist presenting a short film is Rodney Veal, a former dancer and resident choreographer with Gem City Ballet.
He is on adjunct faculty at Dayton’s Stivers School for the Arts and Sinclair Community College.
Cortes, Veal and Yalkut also will be part of a panel discussion on new media during the festival.
Others on the panel will include: Michael Casselli, a visual arts and performance artist from Yellow Springs; UD art history professor Judith Huacuja; and UD English professor Andy Slade.
ArtStreet is located at the intersection of Lawnview Avenue and Kiefaber Street on the UD campus. For directions and parking information, go online to artstreet.udayton.edu/about/directions.
CONTACT contributing writer Pamela Dillon at pamdillon@woh.rr.com.
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