Raindance Foundation
Encyclopedia
Raindance Foundation was begun in 1969 by Frank Gillette, Michael Shamberg
, Ira Schneider
and Paul Ryan
among others. Raindance was a self-described "countercultural think-tank" that embraced video as an alternative form of cultural communication.
The name "Raindance" was a play on words for "cultural R & D" (research and development). Influenced by the communications theories of Marshall McLuhan
and Buckminster Fuller
, the collective produced a data bank of tapes and writings that explored the relation of cybernetics
, media
, and ecology
. From 1970 to 1974, Raindance published the seminal video journal Radical Software (initially edited by Beryl Korot and Phyllis Gershuny), which provided a network of communications for the emerging alternative video movement with a circulation of 5,000. In 1971, Shamberg wrote Guerrilla Television, a summary of the group's principles and a blueprint for the decentralization of television.
In 1976, Raindance members Ira Schneider and Beryl Korot edited Video Art: An Anthology, one of the first readers on video art
. The original Raindance collective dispersed in the mid-1970s.
The nonprofit Raindance Foundation continued and in the 1980’s produced the first comprehensive TV series on video art called “Night Light TV” which showcased video works by William Wegman
, Ira Schneider
, Russ Johnson
(of Taly and Russ Johnson
), Joan Jonas
, Juan Downey, John Sturgeon, and Willoughby Sharp. Raindance also administered The Standby Program
at Matrix, bringing video editing to artists in the 1980s and 1990s.
The 20th Anniversary of the Raindance Foundation was celebrated in 1990 with a retrospective at Kitchen in New York City.
Michael Shamberg
Michael Shamberg is an American former Time-Life correspondent and current film producer.-Life and career:His credits include Erin Brockovich, A Fish Called Wanda, Garden State, Gattaca, Pulp Fiction and The Big Chill...
, Ira Schneider
Ira Schneider
Ira Schneider is a video artist. He was born in New York, NY in 1939, graduated from Brown University as Bachelor of Arts in 1960 and from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Psychology as Magister of Arts in 1964. He has been living and working in Berlin since 1993.-Career:He started shooting...
and Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan (video artist)
-Bio:From 1967 till 1969, he was assistant of Marshal McLuhan.In 1969 he cofounded the Raindance Foundation. While in 1970Marshall McLuhan depicted World War III as a "guerrilla information war," in the same year Ryan wrote for Radical Software, the foundation journal, the article Cybernetic...
among others. Raindance was a self-described "countercultural think-tank" that embraced video as an alternative form of cultural communication.
The name "Raindance" was a play on words for "cultural R & D" (research and development). Influenced by the communications theories of Marshall McLuhan
Marshall McLuhan
Herbert Marshall McLuhan, CC was a Canadian educator, philosopher, and scholar—a professor of English literature, a literary critic, a rhetorician, and a communication theorist...
and Buckminster Fuller
Buckminster Fuller
Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller was an American systems theorist, author, designer, inventor, futurist and second president of Mensa International, the high IQ society....
, the collective produced a data bank of tapes and writings that explored the relation of cybernetics
Cybernetics
Cybernetics is the interdisciplinary study of the structure of regulatory systems. Cybernetics is closely related to information theory, control theory and systems theory, at least in its first-order form...
, media
Media (communication)
In communications, media are the storage and transmission channels or tools used to store and deliver information or data...
, and ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
. From 1970 to 1974, Raindance published the seminal video journal Radical Software (initially edited by Beryl Korot and Phyllis Gershuny), which provided a network of communications for the emerging alternative video movement with a circulation of 5,000. In 1971, Shamberg wrote Guerrilla Television, a summary of the group's principles and a blueprint for the decentralization of television.
In 1976, Raindance members Ira Schneider and Beryl Korot edited Video Art: An Anthology, one of the first readers on video art
Video art
Video art is a type of art which relies on moving pictures and comprises video and/or audio data. . Video art came into existence during the 1960s and 1970s, is still widely practiced and has given rise to the widespread use of video installations...
. The original Raindance collective dispersed in the mid-1970s.
The nonprofit Raindance Foundation continued and in the 1980’s produced the first comprehensive TV series on video art called “Night Light TV” which showcased video works by William Wegman
William Wegman (photographer)
William Wegman is an artist best known for creating series of compositions involving dogs, primarily his own Weimaraners in various costumes and poses.-Life and career:...
, Ira Schneider
Ira Schneider
Ira Schneider is a video artist. He was born in New York, NY in 1939, graduated from Brown University as Bachelor of Arts in 1960 and from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Psychology as Magister of Arts in 1964. He has been living and working in Berlin since 1993.-Career:He started shooting...
, Russ Johnson
Russ Johnson
William Russell Johnson is a former Major League Baseball infielder. He went to Louisiana State University and was drafted in the first round of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft by the Houston Astros. In , he was called up to the majors by the Astros, where he remained until...
(of Taly and Russ Johnson
Taly and Russ Johnson
Taly and Russ Johnson are visual artists. Their work is a mixture of video, photography, collage and book art. Taly is a Film and TV graduate of New York University, was born in Israel and has directed and produced several short narrative films. Russ is a Detroit native and a Cooper Union graduate...
), Joan Jonas
Joan Jonas
Born in 1936 in New York City, Joan Jonas is a pioneer of video and performance art and one of the most important female artists to emerge in the late 1960s and early 1970s.She began her career in New York City as a sculptor...
, Juan Downey, John Sturgeon, and Willoughby Sharp. Raindance also administered The Standby Program
The Standby Program
The Standby Program is a non-profit, video post-production service organization in New York City. Since 1983, Standby has provided editorial services to independent film and video producers on a wide range of projects, including documentaries, video art, installations, sound mixes, film-to- tape...
at Matrix, bringing video editing to artists in the 1980s and 1990s.
External links
- RADICAL SOFTWARE, A Brief History of RainDance, by Davidson Gigliotti (2003).
- Raindance Corporation in the Video Data Bank
The 20th Anniversary of the Raindance Foundation was celebrated in 1990 with a retrospective at Kitchen in New York City.