Ever since the mid 1960s, video art has been gaining momentum. For at least two decades it has been one of the most dynamic and experimental forms of multimedia art. Today, video artists are found everywhere, from the crowded capitals of Western Europe and the United States to Japan, Latin America, and Southern Africa.

Video Art versus Cinema

Video art and cinema may look similar but in fact they have little in common except the technologies they rely on. Video art is, and has always been, much more experimental. 

History

Video art can trace its origins back to the 1960s, when portable video cameras were becoming available to artists. Nam June Paik is often credited as the 'founder' of video art. He recorded a video of the Pope in New York in 1965 and exhibited it shortly after. In the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, as technologies advanced, video art became more widespread. 

Today, digital cameras have made video art more accessible than ever before. 

On Video Editing

Video artists have always had different views on video editing: while some have made use of video mixing consoles, and later computer editing software, while many artists have chosen not to do any editing at all. At present, computer video editing software has reached such a level of complexity, and has become so accessible, that most video artists use it to enhance their video art.

Trends and Themes

When it comes to trends, video art has always remained outside the influence of cinema. Video art doesn't deal with narrative subjects and has no accepted conventions in terms of footage length. Frequently recurring themes in video art include the impact of technology on humans, politics, as well as gender and identity issues which are prevailing themes in most contemporary art. By Michael Angel Plaza 

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