Seeing Time: Selections from the Pamela and Richard Kramlich Collection of Media Art

This generously illustrated volume offers an in-depth look at the unique collection of time-based video and film installation works assembled by Pamela and Richard Kramlich. By approaching media art as a revolutionary means of perceiving the world and not simply an extension of medium, the artists represented here — including Marcel Broodthaers, Gilbert & George, Dara Birnbaum, and Mariko Mori, among others — challenge contemporary modes and understandings of vision. An essay by Robert R. Riley considers the ways in which these artists explore various aspects of perception, beginning with the idea that life can no longer be distinguished from the influences of mechanical and technological perceptual devices. Marita Sturken discusses the use of technological media as a means for a postmodernist excavation of the past — one in which history is reconceptualized alongside the dismantling of power structures. Stills and installation views of featured artworks are accompanied by interpretive essays by Chrissie Iles, and Thea Westreich traces the development of the Kramlichs’ collecting practice, delivering an inside glimpse into the complex nature of forming a contemporary personal collection.