Two Physics Videos: "Space and Time" and "Some Balls Stick, Some Balls Fall"1976

"TWO PHYSICS VIDEOS" is a compilation of two of Barbara Rosenthal's short-shorts in which the most outwardly obvious things we take for granted in the course of existence are presented to us in the simplest, most straightforward (and therefor absurdist) way possible. "SPACE AND TIME", shot in 1990, is a text and live-action performance video depicting xeroxed text from philosopher John Redford's book and model of Space and Time. The spacial configuration and timing of the videographed xerox itself, and the foley performance sound, humorously remind us that even the infinite is finite on the screen, but at least perhaps it is not futile to attempt a definition. Shot when "cut" and "paste" meant "cut" and "paste." (1min 5sec) "SOME BALLS STICK, SOME BALLS FALL" is probably the most deceptively simple performance video of all Rosenthal's 100+ deceptively simple performance videos. In it, the off-camera performer (Rosenthal, of course) throws wads of soaked newspapers at a blackboard, the resulting bangs and splatters depicting violence, anger, humor, news commentary, frustration and pure physics. Shot with a black and white 1/2 open reel analog Sony Portapak, the first video equipment Rosenthal ever owned, bought used from Lauren Ewing via Technisphere in 1976. Ambient audio.(2min 35sec 10fr). Neither "SPACE AND TIME", shot in 1990, nor "SOME BALLS STICK, SOME BALLS FALL", shot in 1976, were ever shown until their premier as an installation loop in "Attract/Repel: Art and Physics" at Central Booking Artspace, Brooklyn, NY, curated by Maddy Rosenberg Nov.-Dec. 2010. LIMITED EDITION OF 20, SIGNED AND NUMBERED