6.2 Found Footage and Appropriation Techniques

Found footage and appropriation techniques revolutionized video art, allowing artists to repurpose existing media for new creative expressions. These methods, rooted in early 20th-century art movements, gained momentum with the rise of video technology in the 1960s and 70s.

Artists use found footage to critique mainstream media, explore memory and identity, and comment on sociopolitical issues. By recontextualizing TV clips, films, and user-generated content, they create powerful works that challenge viewers' perceptions and spark meaningful conversations about our media-saturated world.

Found Footage in Video Art

Concept and History

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  Nam June Paik's legendary Electronic Superhighway View original

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Top images from around the web for Concept and History

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  Nam June Paik's legendary Electronic Superhighway View original

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  “The Father of Video Art” – Nam June Paik: Intersecting Art and The Digital – Digital Media ... View original

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• 

  New York Dada - Wikipedia View original

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  Nam June Paik's legendary Electronic Superhighway View original

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  “The Father of Video Art” – Nam June Paik: Intersecting Art and The Digital – Digital Media ... View original

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• Found footage refers to the use of pre-existing film, video, or audio material that is repurposed or recontextualized to create a new work of art
• This technique has roots in the Dadaist and Surrealist art movements of the early 20th century (Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain", Max Ernst's collages)
• Early examples of found footage in experimental film include Joseph Cornell's "Rose Hobart" (1936) and Bruce Conner's "A Movie" (1958)
  • These works pioneered the concept of recontextualizing existing media to create new narratives and meanings
• The rise of video technology in the 1960s and 1970s expanded the possibilities for found footage in video art
  • Artists like Nam June Paik and Dara Birnbaum incorporated television footage and other appropriated media into their works

Purposes and Themes

• Found footage has been used to critique and subvert mainstream media, challenging notions of authorship and originality
• Artists explore themes of memory, nostalgia, and cultural identity through the use of appropriated media
• Found footage can be employed to comment on sociopolitical issues, consumer culture, and the construction of historical narratives
• The juxtaposition of disparate found footage elements can create a sense of irony, absurdity, or surreal associations

Sources of Appropriated Media

Television and Film

• Television footage, including news broadcasts, commercials, and sitcoms, is a common source of appropriated media in video art
  • Artists may use this material to comment on mass media and consumer culture (Dara Birnbaum's "Technology/Transformation: Wonder Woman")
• Film footage, ranging from Hollywood movies to educational films and home movies, can be repurposed in video art to create new narratives or evoke specific emotions and associations
  • Examples include Douglas Gordon's "24 Hour Psycho" and Matthias Müller's "Home Stories"

Archival and User-Generated Content

• Archival footage, such as historical newsreels, propaganda films, and government-produced videos, can be used to explore political and social issues or to reexamine historical events
  • Artists like Craig Baldwin and Harun Farocki have extensively worked with archival material in their video works
• User-generated content, including YouTube videos, social media posts, and other forms of online media, has become an increasingly important source of appropriated material in contemporary video art
  • Natalie Bookchin's "Mass Ornament" and Jennifer Proctor's "A Movie by Jen Proctor" are examples of works that incorporate user-generated content
• Video artists may also appropriate audio material, such as music, radio broadcasts, and sound effects, to create soundscapes or to enhance the emotional impact of their work (Christian Marclay's "Telephones")

Recontextualizing Found Footage

Editing and Juxtaposition

• Recontextualization involves placing found footage in a new context or juxtaposing it with other images, sounds, or texts to create new associations and meanings
  • This can be achieved through editing, montage, or the addition of voice-over narration or text
• The juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated or contradictory found footage can create a sense of irony, absurdity, or political commentary
  • It invites the viewer to question the original context and meaning of the appropriated material (Martha Rosler's "Bringing the War Home" series)

Manipulation and Transformation

• Manipulation of found footage can include altering the speed, color, or texture of the original material, or applying visual effects such as distortion, fragmentation, or layering
  • These techniques can be used to emphasize certain aspects of the footage or to create a specific aesthetic or emotional effect (Bill Morrison's "Decasia")
• The use of repetition, looping, or fragmentation of found footage can create a sense of rhythm or disorientation
  • This draws attention to the materiality of the medium and challenges traditional narrative structures (Martin Arnold's "Pièce Touchée")
• The recontextualization and manipulation of found footage can also be used to explore personal or collective memories, to critique the construction of historical narratives, or to challenge the authority of mainstream media and dominant cultural narratives

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Copyright and Fair Use

• The use of appropriated media in video art raises questions of copyright infringement and fair use
  • Fair use is a legal doctrine that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes such as criticism, commentary, or parody
• Factors considered in determining fair use include:
  1. The purpose and character of the use (commercial vs. non-profit, transformative vs. derivative)
  2. The nature of the copyrighted work
  3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used
  4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for the original work
• The concept of transformative use is central to the legal defense of appropriation in video art
  • A work is considered transformative if it adds new expression, meaning, or message to the original material, rather than merely copying or reproducing it

Ethical Considerations

• Ethical considerations in the use of appropriated media include the potential for exploitation or misrepresentation of the original creators or subjects
  • This is particularly relevant when dealing with sensitive or personal material such as home movies or user-generated content
• Video artists working with appropriated media must also consider the cultural and political implications of their work
  • This includes issues of representation, power, and privilege, and the potential for reinforcing or challenging dominant narratives and stereotypes
• Artists should be mindful of the context and intentions behind the original material, and strive to use appropriated media in a responsible and respectful manner
  • This may involve obtaining permission, providing attribution, or engaging in dialogue with the original creators or communities represented in the footage