Film clips of Chico Marx on the piano are juxtaposed with clips of Elvis Presley dressed as a cowboy, Jimi Hendrix and the banjo-playing child in "Deliverance."
The images are part of "Video Quartet," a visual and sonic collage by artist Christian Marclay that weaves together snippets of Western musical culture sampled from more than 700 Hollywood films. The 2002 work involves the simultaneous projection of four videos on huge screens, creating a 14-minute loop.
The Washington Post has called the piece "as impressive as contemporary art gets, with an emotional charge that should leave a lump in almost any viewer's throat."
You can experience "Video Quartet" from May 7-July 26 in the Nicholas Benjamin Duke Biddle Pavilion at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.
"This work is a sampling masterpiece and a pure joy to watch," says Trevor Schoonmaker, curator of contemporary art at the Nasher. "It is hard to describe in terms of its technical perfection."
Marclay, who is based in New York and London, will give a talk about his work at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, at the Nasher Museum. The event is free and open to the public; a reception with the artist will follow.
To create "Video Quartet," Marclay worked on a home computer for more than a year, sampling films featuring images of hands on keyboards, horns and violins, as well as men and women singing and dancing.
The work was recently on view in Montreal at DHC/ART Foundation for Contemporary Art as part of "Replay," the artist's video retrospective. The exhibition was last seen in the United States in 2006 at the Whitney Museum of American Art as part of "Full House: Views of the Whitney's Collection at 75."
"We are fortunate to be able to present this epic work by Christian Marclay, one of the most significant artists working today," says Schoonmaker.
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Christian Marclay: Video Quartet Thursday, May 7 through Sunday, July 26 Nasher Museum of Art Tickets: The general admission price is $5. The fee is $4 for seniors, $4 for members of the Duke Alumni Association with membership card, $3 for non-Duke students with I.D. and free for children under 16. General admission is FREE to museum members, Duke University students, faculty and staff with I.D. General admission is FREE to all on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Information: 684-5135; nasher.duke.edu