Summer 1971
This very rich issue, with a cover by Ant Farm (which forms the back cover also), marked a departure in terms of format, content, personnel, and price. Number Four appeared as a tabloid-sized magazine, had some content donated, layout and all, by video groups in Canada and California, and it cost $3.00 instead of $1.50.
Phyllis Gershuny, a founder of Radical Software, had left the magazine after the previous number, and Beryl Korot shared the editing tasks with Megan Williams. Gone was some of the ad hoc appearance of the first issues. Clearly an attempt had been made to rationalize somewhat both the format and content.
The editorial section begins with a lengthy article, “Biotopology 1972” by Warren Brodey, M.D. Brody, a psychiatrist from Canada who now lives in Norway, was a recognized pioneer in family therapy, and had done related work in cybernetics, artificial intelligence, and early work in interactive computer systems. Also notable are “The Nutritive Context” by Frank Gillette and “Infolding Paul Ryan” by Avery Johnson, all with a media ecology theme.
What makes this issue so rich, however, is the plethora of reports and proposals from video groups on both coasts, the midwest, and Canada. These contributions both identify and make plain the goals and methods of an entire generation of video activists, artists and communitarians committed to the belief that the free flow of information could help effect social change.
Also included are the ever-present hardware tutorials, lists of videotapes to buy and sell and the names and addresses of their distributors, and descriptions of on-going tape projects. One sleeper is “Game”, a page by Marc Le Brun, now an important software developer.
Contributed by
Juan Pablo Macías