PopTube
Internet video site YouTube needs no introduction. Its status as both a branded channel and a medium in its own right has redefined "new media" on both sides of the art and corporate entertainment divide. But most of its content resides somewhere in between, and its currency lies in the vernacular nature of the items posted there--to the extent that the memes incubated on YouTube are trickling down into the language of contemporary artists' work and, in turn, re-emerging on the site. This is the feeding cycle that has long defined pop art, and on May 13th, three artists will make their YouTube consumption conspicuous in an event at The Kitchen, the New York-based organization famous for supporting risk-taking media and performance work. "Artists Using YouTube" is organized by curator and critic Rachel Greene and will feature artists Sue de Beer, Matthew Higgs, and Matthew Ronay--each of whom is well-known for incorporating mainstream cultural phenomena into their work--presenting their favorite YouTube clips, whether they've been a source of influence or productive distraction. - Marisa Olson
Sue de Beer, Annika Line Trust (Psychedelic Light), 2006 (detail)
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