Last year one of the most memorable shows was Ryan Trecartin's "I-BE AREA" solo show at Elizabeth Dee Gallery. One of my professors made it a required assignment to see that show and watch the entire 1 hour 48 minute video. I don't think many students in the class would have noticed the show or given the video much of their time with out the professor's encouragement. I have to say I am glad to have experienced it in the gallery and it obviously had some affect on me because I am still contemplating the videos over a year later.
Trecartin deploys an onslaught high paced editing, colorful "public access" style effects, mashed up story-lines and a slew of references to convey an experience that sticks with you. I remember leaving the gallery feeling really strange and a bit freaked. Later that term I was able to sneak into his talk at the New Museum and got a slightly clearer understanding of some of those references. Particularly interesting was the discussion of identities with in the works and how people have several identities, online, real, imagined and on line imagined identities like Avatars.
Recently, I stumbled upon a weekly YouTube series called "Fred". Created by a 15 year old Nebraskan Lucas Cruikshank (IMDB) Fred follows a 6 year old hyper active kid in mini web episodes doing thinks like sneaking into his crush's trailer home.
I like to think of "Fred" as the G rated version of a NC-17 Ryan Trecartin video. you can check out them both below.
enjoy.
Ryan Trecartin, "I-BE AREA (A SAlly Man Now)" (clip) 2007
Lucas Cruikshank, "Fred" YouTube series above "Fred Loses His Meds" 2008