This video begins with an exerpt from the popular 1990s sitcom Full House in which two of the characters, DJ and Kimmie, decide to bring the large family TV upstairs in order to place it next to their smaller TV and watch both the news and music videos at the same time. In an event that no doubt set the plot rolling for the episode, Kimmie accidentally knocks the television off the banister, sending it crashing to its destruction on the living room floor below.
What happens next is a blaring of lights and television static that transitions us into a slowed down, distorted, and doubled up montage of a Tanner family vacation. It takes a while to start to understand what is happening as elements from the first section linger. While watching this piece I couldn't help but be endeared by the characters and still drawn into their narrative despite the almost complete destruction the image and sounds being played.
The most surprising emotion I felt during this sequence of destruction was pity for the characters. This stood in opposition to the celebration that was happening in the scene but was evoked by the slowed down, deep dying tone of the character's voices and their unawareness of what seemed to be happening.
From this reaction I start to question the power of narrative and its ability to create reality. Robinson chose a very popular television show that would resonate with a large audience. The title of the piece is reminiscent of ideas on death and the afterlife.
The Tanner family exist as light, electricity, and as ideas in our head. Yet, the death of these characters struck resonated. In this piece, Robinson seems to be creating an electronic death in order to raise the question in the viewer of what we understand to be real.
brilliant
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