Ryan Trecartin's Four New Movies Screened at LACMA, Debated as 'Movies' vs. Digital Works

On March 25, 2014, Ryan Trecartin presented four new works—Junior War, Comma Boat, CENTER JENNY, and Item Falls (all 2013)—in a back-to-back screening at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Film critic and curator Elvis Mitchell introduced the event, insisting Trecartin creates 'movies' meant for theatrical viewing rather than 'films' or 'videos.' This presentation followed the works' 2013 debut at the Venice Biennale, where they were shown within 'sculptural theaters' created with Trecartin's collaborator Lizzie Fitch. The 139-minute program included Junior War, which incorporates footage Trecartin shot in 1999 while in high school, depicting youthful rebellion through activities like drinking, running from police, and vandalism. Trecartin's signature in-your-face camera work and frenetic editing with jump cuts were evident. Mitchell's claim that movie theaters are the natural environment for Trecartin's work contrasts with the artist's practice of making his movies available on Vimeo and their origins in digital sharing. Trecartin relocated his studio to Burbank in 2010, where much of the new work was produced. A similar screening occurred in December 2013 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The works explore themes like doubling, identity, and social positioning through chaotic narratives and characters.