"Television, Furniture, and Sculpture: The Room with an American View" by Vitto Acconci AND "Phototropic" by Tony Ourselor

This reading starts off with an analogy relating the television to a fishbowl, pointing out how they are a world within a world. The TV makes faces on screen roughly the same size as the viewer in real life which is contrary to a movie in the theater which is roughly 15 times life-sized. It also connects the entire country by having the same programs broadcasted in one location as another. It relates furniture to sculpture and in turn television to furniture. The television viewers are like producers, deciding what should be on at any given time.

Television is a working sculpture that nearly every household in the country possesses. They are microcosms that exist in our homes that are windows into other worlds and other parts of our world. It connects us as a people and is one of the most high tech devices that is in the home.

Q: How has the field of sculpture advanced since the television has been introduced into it?

“Video in Relation to Architecture” by Dan Graham

The writing starts off discussing the impact that television had on the family unit in the 1950s and how they saw it as a form of escapism from their daily lives. TV also held an unrealistic mirror to the family, showing them a group of people similar to themselves but with very different lives. Programs began showing up on the television that demonstrated themes of the nuclear family being pulled apart. As they began to build lavish public places they decided to keep them under surveillance. Video was used as signs, mirrors, and windows.

TV was promoted as a commodity for every need. It began popping up in every aspect of life. Every family had one and their purpose began evolving. They were used as a way of escape, for surveillance, advertisement, and as a mirror to the public.

Q: Where would the field of video art be if the TV had never blown up in popularity the way that it had?