Violin Power

Steina terms this procedural work “a demo tape on how to play video on the violin.” Her background as a violinist and her evolution from musician to visual artist is referenced through an analogy of video camera to musical instrument. Steina is first seen in footage from the early 1970s , playing the violin and singing to The Beatles’ Let It Be. As succeeding segments trace a chronological progression, Steina layers imagery and time. The violin itself ultimately becomes an image generating tool, as she connects it to imaging devices, creating abstract visual transpositions of sound and vibrations. This unconventional self-portrait is a study of the relationship of music to electronic image.