Burt Barr's Video Art Exhibition at Brent Sikkema Gallery Features Three Provocative Works

From June 10 to July 17, 2004, Burt Barr presented a technically polished exhibition of video art at Brent Sikkema Gallery in New York. The show featured three recent pieces that demonstrate his unique approach to the medium, blending wit with cinematic references. Two video works were displayed in the main gallery: "Roz" and "The Mile: Running Time 7:25." "Roz" features performer Roz Leblanc lip-syncing to Otis Clay's soulful rendition of "The Banks of the Ohio" while standing in a shower, evoking associations with Hitchcock, Warhol, and Godard through its framing and visual style. The piece becomes unsettling as Leblanc mouths lyrics about murder with a man's deep voice. "The Mile: Running Time 7:25" shows a woman jogging on a foggy dune road, with the soundtrack capturing her breathing and footsteps as a timer counts down on screen. In the back gallery, "The Fan" presents a post-minimalist installation sculpture where a video projection of an oscillating fan is cast onto an actual fan on a wooden pedestal, creating shifting shadow-and-film double images and spinning light reflections on the walls. Barr's work stands out for its technical refinement and clever engagement with film history.