My Response to Foster’s "Video and Intermedia"

In his article, Foster examines the relationship between video and intermedia and comes to the conclusion that while they lend themselves very well to one another, videos are not intermedia unless they reach a higher level of bringing some overlooked and unrelated facts of life to becoming art, and subsequently impacting those that view it. Intermedia is the point where art inserts itself into our thoughts and world. Where it inspires reflection and discussions and becomes part of our intellectual surroundings.

It blends seamlessly with the ordinary and the mundane and because of how versatile video is as a medium itself. Foster argues that painting, film, and the more traditional art forms are more constrained by standards that video need not adhere to. Because video is a fairly new and easily accessible media, videos do not necessarily have to be “art”. Because of this, it is easier for video to seamlessly interact with the world and those that watch it. It becomes easier for it to bridge the gap that makes it intermedia, and to be relatable.

According to Foster, video is the medium that most easily becomes intermedia, as it is as spontaneous, alive, and constantly in flux as the world in which it was created. Video is, in essence a copy of the filmmaker’s view of a specific aspect of the world. Foster challenges the traditional idea that intermedia “breaks down art’s boundaries,” and interjects that it does more than just that - it is art that unites totally unrelated aspects of life itself and results in a deeper psychological impact to those that see it than would a traditional form of art that is not intermedia.

I chose this sound clip from Ubuweb because it relates to what I think Foster was saying about Intermedia. It is a woman, Kelly Mark, reading a poem called “I Should Really” In which she goes through all of the things the average person really should do, but probably won't do, for a while at least. I think it is intermedia because of the subject matter. The poem makes art out of mundane, ordinary-life statements, and the fact that it is a voice clip makes it represent more than one form of media as well.

http://blogfiles.wfmu.org/KG/NYT/Kelly-Mark_I-Really-Should_clean.mp3