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How did Burden documentary relate to brief introduced by the 4D workshop?

 Explore a few artworks discussed in the documentary.

Chris Burden's, 'Medusa's Head' (1990) I found particularly encapsulating due to its reflection of its meaning to the physical geometric space contained in a gallery space. The artist discussed frequently, in detail, corners of energy and how condense areas of energy influences our understanding of space. Burden's use of car tracks and moving small toy cars appeared later on in early 2000s in a larger scale. The sculpture began using wooden, twisted panels which were fixed together in the same sphere, it is important to add that the artist was interested in the 'Situationists', specially in the 1970s created sculpture where the body was seen as significant as the objects being used are. 

Thus, it becomes clearer going through Burden's works that he connected his personal life with his art practice directly, a notable example of this is Burden's, 'Confessional Tape' (1974) which appeared like a television broadcast placed inside a gallery space where Burden confesses to cheating on his wife. The artist experimented widely with material and process in order to question the role of the artist during a period after the Flux Movement and frequently held fears of the inflated art market.

Moving forward, how does Burden's method of practice influence me?

Exploring the manner in which Chris Burden conceives ideas in the documentary, 'Burden' was timely to my 4D workshop where I was asked to incorporate the body in a sculptural manner. I found his method of building and developing ideas for performances and pieces of artwork interesting through his use of creating empty time in order to think through his ideas and engage with the space. Thus, Burden talks in detail about energy and specific areas, usually corners that contain the most energy, which seems very relevant to his use space and use of fire and water. The artists use of copyright and humorous work such as, 'Famous Artists' which is a short piece of video art under fifty seconds where Burden listed Leonardo Di Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and finally himself, Chris Burden. Burden ends the piece with, 'Paid for by Chris Burden-artist (copyright) 1976' - the artist used broadcasting to his advantage, thus expanding the notion of an artists creative boundaries; in a humorous manner the artist lists prominent artists from the Renaissance and more contemporary period, the copyright text included at the end gives a sense of irony to the fact that the artist himself paid for the promotion. 

Other examples of Burden using television broadcasting to expand the platform of his practice.....

                                                                                                               'Big Wrench' (1980)

Similarly, artist Nam June Paik, a Korean American artist who works with a variety of media, notably works with video art during a period of time when it was common place to own a television and how it shaped popular culture. 

 Nam June Paik, 'Untitled' (1993)

'Nixon' 1965-2002 

The artists piece, 'Nixon' include two identical monitors with 'seminal' moments of Nixon's presidency the medium is of follows; black and white and colour, sound and magnetic coils, video and two monitors lasting a duration of 10 minutes and 51 seconds. Nam June Paik explores how in the 60s popular broadcasting methods were used for political speeches to create rhetoric while creating a participatory atmosphere for the viewer. The magnetic coils displayed at the front of each screen frame Nixon's face whilst making the viewer aware that the television is simply a machine that works through an electric current almost like there is falsity presented by a screen. The image of the work displayed below in a gallery shows the variation of mediums used in the artwork. 

Other interesting Chris Burden sketches and final works:

'Beam Drop', Antwerp (2009) 

'Metropolis II' (2011) Los Angeles County Museum of Modern Art. 

"The noise, the continuous flow of the trains, and the speeding toy cars produce in the viewer the stress of living in a dynamic, active and bustling 21st century city."