the Vasulkas

Steina Vasulka & Woody Vasulka

I quote from Steina’s CV: “In these early years, Steina and Woody collaborated extensively on explorations into the electronic nature of video and sound, as well as documentaries about theater, dance, and music, with a particular interest in the New York underground scene. The Vasulkas relocated to Buffalo in 1974 to join the faculty of the State University of New York’s Center for Media Study. At this time, their interests diverged: Woody focused on the Rutt/Etra Scan Processor, and Steina explored with the camera as an independent imaging instrument for the Machine Vision series.”

UMU

Encountering the work of the Vasulkas is like experiencing the moment video and sound discover their raw.

Their pieces reveal the hidden architecture of media, turning the machinery of video into an expressive instrument.

What I love is how their sound and visuals seem to grow from the same source. You don’t feel like you are watching an image with sound layered on top. instead, both emerge from a single electronic heartbeat.

The Vasulkas remind me that sound can be structural, image can be musical, and technology can be poetic.