Gallery Z's history of Providence video art

From our review of “Video Art Exhibition,” a mini history of Providence video art at Gallery Z in Providence:

In May 1978, Providence police raided the exhibition “Private Parts” at the Electron Movers loft on North Main Street to enforce a then-new state obscenity law. Officers seized dozens of artworks, including — an earnest local TV news anchorman told viewers — “exhibits of human genitals termed ‘horrible’ by Chief Angelo Ricci after two detectives visited yesterday.” I’ll never again question the heroism of our local law enforcement.

All this is recounted in a 1978 Laurie McDonald documentary screening in “Video Art Exhibition” at Gallery Z. The electronic time capsule exhibit showcases 1970s recordings by McDonald and other members of the Electron Movers, a taste of early ’90s video from Joshua Pearson and Gardner Post’s Emergency Broadcast Network, plus recent works. It’s a rough draft of local art history that hopefully will inspire a larger local institution to more deeply plumb Ocean State tech art.

Read the rest here.

“Video Art Exhibition,” Gallery Z, 259 Atwells Ave., Providence, Nov. 4 to 28, 2009.

Pictured from top to bottom: Electron Movers (Philip Palombo, Dennis Hlynsky, Alan Powell), “Floating Hands,” 1976; Laurie McDonald, “Dying Swan,” 1975; Philip Palombo & Dennis Hlynsky, “Casey,” 1978; Philip Palombo, “Spaminator Speaks,” 2009; and Raphael DiLuzio, “Seventh Veil,” 2009.