One of the major points this article makes is the significance of technology as it relates to video art. I find it interesting that some artists in the earlier days of video art were attracted not just to the affordability and portability of video, but also to its particular visual "look". The article even describes this look as being monochrome and low resolution. In a way, these qualities are charming about video, especially today. As I read this I am constantly reminded of one of my favorite internet groups Red Letter Media. RLM is known most famously for the so-called "Plinkett reviews" of the Star Wars prequels. They're essentially a group of friends who are very much into media, particularly movies, and are also well-learned in these fields. RLM has been operating for a few years now, and in that time the group has also reviewed, analyzed, reminisced about, discussed, and mentioned a variety of movies new and old. A significant number of these are video productions, and have been featured on their show Best of the Worst. I am as familiar as I am with video art because of Red Letter Media and Best of the Worst, and the seemingly endless number of video titles (mostly dating from the 1980s and '90s) they have included on their show. There has been an incredible amount of both competence and total incompetence featured in some of these video movies, which kind of speaks to the "double-edged" sword of its accessibility. It's like the music industry today; anyone can do it, and, anyone can do it.
But I do have to go back and think about what the article mentions about video art's reliance on technology. The initial spark video offered to the world was inspiring, but I'm not sure it resonates quite the same way today as it did decades ago. The quality of video is ever-improving, and for the most part the public agrees that better quality means a better video. I wonder what this means for the sake of video's significance. It seems more like a tool today.
Video art still maintains its niche however . On Best of the Worst, hosts Mike and Jay have talked to several artists who consistently work with video, and work with it passionately. They fully realize they are creating low-budget, low-fi productions, but like your local indie band (I mean truly "indie"), they care where it matters most. They're still effectively underground, but the medium can survive for now.
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