Ryan Trecartin made several short videos at the Rhode Island School of Design before completing A Family Finds Entertainment, 2004. Four of these early works comprise the Early Baggage boxed set: Valentine's Day Girl, 2001, Yo A Romantic Comedy, 2002, Wayne's World, 2003, and What's The Love Making Babies For, 2003. As antecedents to Trecartin's more ambitious projects that have followed, a viewer can watch these videos and track some of the artist's signature themes, subjects and formal strategies as they are introduced. The comparatively minimal material resources of an art student and consumer video technologies of the early 2000s impart these works with a youthful façade. However the same voice that would mature with more epic movies pronounces the seminal, prescient interests in contemporary life, sense and purpose that he continues to work from today. The title character of Valentine's Day Girl (7 min.) is played by Lizzie Fitch, Trecartin's de facto muse and closest collaborator. [...]

Kevin McGarry


Catalogue excerpt
fast forward 2. The Power of Motion
Media Art Sammlung Goetz
Editors: Ingvild Goetz and Stephan Urbaschek
Ostfildern, Hatje Cantz, 2010

Ryan Trecartin, Valentine's Day Girl, 2001
Single-channel video, color, sound
Edition 3/8 (+ 3 a. p.)
7'  


Ryan Trecartin, Yo A Romantic Comedy, 2002
Single-channel video, color, sound
Edition 3/8 (+ 3 a. p.)
12'  


Ryan Trecartin, Wayne's World, 2003
Single-channel video, color, sound
Edition 3/8 (+ 3 a. p.)
8'  


Ryan Trecartin, What's The Love Making Babies For, 2003
Single-channel video, color, sound
Edition 3/8 (+ 3 a. p.)
20'