Takeshi Murata

I was reminded by Ivan and Eric that Takeshi Murata (American, b. 1974) is featured in the Hirshhorn Black Box circa right now. Nick and I went the other day and were blown away. Who needs drugs when you've got this brand of hallucinogenic video art right in front of you? Of course, then one can't help but wonder about the coupling.

Murata digitally re-works and re-joins various motion picture images individually rendering and altering the pixels into his own creation. Described as "electronic painting," the effect is like "visual quicksand."


I'm not sure if there is much better than a pixelated psychedelic soup where a huge beast emerges. Oh wait, I think there is something better: an epileptic pink dot where Rambo emerges. I can't stop thinking about manly entities disguised as cubed rainbows flowing out of waterfalls!


In Monster Movie (2005), Murata samples from a video of the B-movie Caveman (1981). In Pink Dot (2006) we get Rambo. Also, the music in each piece couldn't have been a better fit. Monster Movie, 4 min: sound by Plate Tectonics. Pink Dot, actually a 5 minute loop: 20 minute soundtrack by Robert Beatty


Here's a little taste of "Pink Dot" though without all the movement this is near pointless: