Pop

1999, 3:28 min, color, sound

Oursler's explorations of the fusion of art and music, which began in the 1970s with his "art band" The Poetics (created with Mike Kelley and John Miller), have led to numerous collaborations with acclaimed rock musicians and sound artists. Pop is a video portrait of the musician Beck. Here Beck appears to inhabit the persona of a childlike pop star surrounded by toys: frenetic images of the singer dancing, wearing a fake beard, and blowing bubbles are layered over a tight close-up of his face as he blows balloons up and noisemakers out. The mood of antic play assumes a darker tone as Beck smears lipstick over his mouth and covers his face with white foam, eradicating his features. The final image appears to capture the musician in somber introspection, suggesting a complicated dialogue between public and private personae.