V I D E O A R T - Guy Ben Ner

2013 ought to be exciting. One thing in particular I plan to explore further this year is video. I have only ventured into that realm once (in any serious sense) and it was, in my mind, a successful undertaking. It involved a number of studio-based experiments with ephemeral or unpredictable materials such as mud, ice and expanding foam - and the documentation of these materials and their behaviour. The final result was presented in an immersive, sculptural environment. Sadly, my documentation of this was grossly insufficient, but there are a few images of the final result here.

In my search for ideas for my new project, I recently discovered the films of Guy Ben Ner, and Israeli video artist.  Ben Ner makes seemingly very simple, yet beautiful and funny films apparently shot in his own home, and employing occasional props to embellish the story. The inclusion of his children as actors in some of the films makes them incredibly endearing, and helps to find a tone that balances the absurd with the profound. They are reminiscent of Buster Keaton or Chaplin's films, in their lack of sound, the use of text panels in the narration, and the way simple devices such as slapstick and visual trickery are employed to bring humour to the story.

Below is his adaptation of Moby Dick.

Enjoy!