For an exhibit entitled A Theatre of Objects, artist Andy Holtin’s collection of video channels at Flashpoint Gallery near Mount Vernon does little to entertain or stimulate the viewer beyond its original use of media. Using a trio of varying yet simplistic scenes, Holtin attempts to “understand and narrate human interaction and intent, even with the vaguest of clues.” A secondary goal is to reevaluate the role of the video equipment itself, making it a dynamic medium rather than simply stationary machinery. While this objective adds an intriguing dimension to the favored medium of our YouTube generation, it fails to make up for the lack of captivating content in the scenes themselves.
The first piece, the mysteriously titled “You Made This Happen,” uses two independently-looped video channels in projection to draw the eye to their mutual element—the scenes, which portray a man interacting with a table and two chairs, are first viewed separately before merging to form a single performance. While it succeeds in creating an unexpected effect with video projection, this piece sheds little light on “human interaction and intent”—combining two scenes to create one with two identical characters has a minimal connection to human interaction, unless the intended effect of the merging video channels serves as some kind of vague metaphor for converging human narratives. In any case, the spark that the creative use of media provides is not enough to fuel interest in its subject, which leaves excessive room for interpretation.
While “You Made This Happen” provides a subtle introduction to Holtin’s vision of video media, Passage later takes a step further when the artist uses nine independently-looped video channels on LCD panels in a circular structure. Enclosing the viewer in a sphere of vision, the piece draws the eye to two “performers” as they spontaneously walk, run, and leap down a mysteriously infinite passage. Standing in the middle of the circle, the viewer isn’t sure where to look—movement on each screen is punctuated by unpredictable and spontaneous interaction that competes for attention. While this piece effectively targets the concept of movement in multiple dimensions, it only hints at the supposed subject of human encounters and relationships.
The final piece of the exhibit, “Glance,” resonates most with the viewer, as Holtin successfully incorporates the nature of human interaction into his use of media. Using two separate LCD screens—one with a man’s face and one with a woman’s—“Glance” directly and realistically portrays the kind of interaction that occurs between strangers in everyday life. Like those of the two other pieces, the video channels used in “Glance” are out of sync, and thus capture only spontaneous encounters. In this way, the glances that occur between the two “performers” echo those that would occur naturally on, say, a subway. The use of screens to imitate the head movement that accompanies a glance effectively brings the media to life, and turns “Glance” into the key part of the exhibit.
Viewed as a whole, the meaning of A Theatre of Objects takes shape as it forms a tentative exploration of human interaction and relationships. Dissected into individual pieces, however, the objective of the exhibit is overwhelmed by excessive subtlety that fails to raise interest in the “performances” at hand. While its creative use of media is evident, it fails to compensate for the vague subject matter, and leaves the exhibit hardly worthy of a visit.
