Doris Chase: Artist In Motion--From Painting And Sculpture To Video Art

Back before people even knew what "video" was, Doris Chase was using it to create art works. This program, hosted by Chase, herself, is an overview of the many facets of her work with computer art and the video medium from the 1960s onward. Beginning as a Pacific Northwest artist during the 50s, Chase shifted her focus to sculpture--particularly moveable sculpture--in the 1960s. Later, exploring the concepts of "video sculpture" and dance, Chase created colorful pieces of kinetic video dance (video effects superimposed onto dance footage) which are still impressive today." Circles" and "Circles II," for example, combine outtakes from the Seattle Opera's production of "Mantra" with computer images Chase helped create at Boeing, and these works set the stage for her direction in the 1970s. In the 1980s, Chase worked with theater art, writing and videotaping (and using the medium's effects to help tell the story) a series entitled "By Herself" featuring actresses such as Geraldine Page and Joan Plowright. The title of this program could not be more accurate: intrigued by motion, Chase, too, has continually moved on to exploring new boundaries. Unfortunately, as many in the business will surely agree, Chase, a pioneer in the field during the 1970s says: "ironically, video is still an art form of the future." An engaging portrait of a video artist. Recommended. (Available from: University of Washington Press, P.O. Box 50096, Seattle, WA 98145-5096.)