Anthony Burdin

The CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts presents a new multichannel video installation by Anthony Burdin, on view from April 7 through May 14 in the CCA Wattis Institute's Logan Galleries on the San Francisco campus of California College of the Arts.

This marks the first West Coast solo exhibition for the artist, whose 2003 exhibition at Maccarone Gallery in New York was singled out by the New York Times as one of the most auspicious debuts of the year. Burdin's installation in the Logan Galleries will incorporate video, sound and sculptural objects. An opening reception will take place on Wednesday, April 6, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The exhibition and reception are both free and open to the public.

Articulating a complex and hallucinatory California Gothic, Burdin's video installations and drawings explore a kinship between fact and fantasy, between the conventions of pop music and marketing and the obsessive desires of fans. His videos—many of which are made in the 1973 Chevy Nova in which he has lived during much of the past decade—are characterized by a restlessly nomadic aesthetic. Featuring jittery but fluid handheld camera work and the growling voices of Burdin's various alter egos, these videos "tour" the urban and desert landscapes of Southern California while investigating the interior of the automobile as a charged psychological space.

CCA Wattis Institute director Ralph Rugoff commented, "One of the extraordinary things about Burdin's videos is the way that they instantly draw you in. As the first images appear on the screen, you find yourself smack in the middle of the scene. Burdin effectively breaks down any detachment you might feel as a viewer. In very visceral terms his videos give you a sense of seeing through a strange set of eyes, taking someone else's trip."

Established in 1998, the CCA Wattis Institute serves as a forum for the presentation and discussion of leading-edge local, national and international contemporary culture. Through exhibitions, the Capp Street Project residency program, lectures, symposia, performances and publications in the fields of art, architecture and design, the Wattis Institute fosters interaction among the students and faculty of California College of the Arts; art, architecture and design professionals; and the general public. Press Contacts

Anthony Burdin