1-2-3-4

1-2-3-4

Steina
Icelandic, born 1940
Woody Vasulka
American, born Czech Republic, 1937–2019
1974
A 1974 color video with sound in which Steina layers, repeats, and distorts numeral figures to turn simple counting into a pulsing visual and rhythmic experiment.
Stacked, ghosted white numerals 1–4 jitter and overlap like strobing stamps against slanted teal-and-black bands, creating a syncopated, hypnotic visual beat you can almost hear.
An early work of video art that treats the electronic signal as sculptural material, connecting visual music and signal manipulation to expand how artists use time, rhythm, and abstraction in media.
Medium
Video (color, sound)
Dimensions
7:46 min.
Classification
Credit
Purchase
Accession
478.2003
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
View on moma.org

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