Video/Art: The First Fifty Years

The book "Londons Book" is a personal and expert account of the artists and events that defined the mediums first 50 years, written by a true expert in the field. It highlights the ongoing importance of video art in the art world, tracing its development alongside the advances in technology that have opened up new possibilities for artists. The text is both art-historical and personal, weaving together background information and insightful interpretations with unique anecdotes and experiences to trace the history of video art as it transformed into the broader field of media art.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 16 September 2021
Publisher: Phaidon Press Ltd

Since the introduction of portable consumer electronics nearly a half century ago, artists throughout the world have adapted their latest technologies to art-making. This first-hand account by the curator who has been following video art from its beginnings in the late 1960s, when artists first adapted portable consumer technology to art-making, spotlights videos ongoing importance in the art world, tracing the genres development alongside the advances in technology that have continued to open up new possibilities for artists. London has worked closely and personally with the artists she writes about, who span generations, including Joan Jonas, Nam June Paik, Bill Viola, Shirin Neshat, Pipilotti Rist, Miranda July, Ragnar Kjartansson, and Ian Cheng. The text is both art-historical and personal – weaving together background information and insightful interpretations with unique anecdotes and experiences to trace 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 this, she reveals how video evolved from fringe status to be seen as one of the foremost art forms of today.

Since the introduction of portable consumer electronics nearly a half century ago, artists throughout the world have adapted their latest technologies to art-making. This first-hand account by the curator who has been following the video art from its beginnings in the late 1960s, when artists first adapted portable consumer technology to art-making, spotlights videos ongoing importance in the art world, tracing the genres development alongside the advances in technology that have continued to open up new possibilities for artists. London has worked closely and personally with the artists she writes about, who span generations. Generations, including Joan Jonas, Nam June Paik, Bill Viola, Shirin Neshat, Pipilotti Rist, Miranda July, Ragnar Kjartansson, and Ian Cheng. The text is both art-historical and personal - weaving together background information and insightful interpretations with unique anecdotes and experiences to trace 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 this, she reveals how video evolved from a fringe status to be seen as one of the foremost art forms of today.

Weight: 666g
Dimension: 139 x 207 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781838663582