A Chronological History
Sherry Miller Hocking

The Experimental Television Center began as an outgrowth of the Student Experiments in Television program formed in 1969 by Ralph Hocking on the campus of Binghamton University. SET provided access to the newly developed small-format portable video equipment for regional arts, educational and community groups and individuals as well as by students and faculty of the University.

Incorporated in 1971, the Center created programs to facilitate the uses of the new technology by three major constituencies: artists; community organizations; and interested citizens. Access to equipment and editing facilities as well as an annual exhibition series and regularly scheduled instructional workshops were offered. For two years the Center sponsored a weekly community cable show, Access, which programmed tapes produced at the Center.

Involvement with artists interested in investigating video as a contemporary art-making medium has always been an integral part of the Center’s activities. A Research Program, initiated to provide a more flexible set of imaging tools to artists, facilitated the design and construction of new video tools. One of the early projects involved the construction of the Paik/Abe Video Synthesizer, under the direction of Nam June Paik and Shuya Abe, for the TV Lab at WNET-TV. After the installation in 1972 of a second system at the Center, the Center began a Residency Program, inviting artists such as Paik, Shigeko Kubota, poet Jackson MacLow and video activist Rudi Stern to use the facility. An annual exhibition series brought video artists like Beryl Korot, Gary Hill, Dickie Landry and many others to the Southern Tier.

Today, the Center continues to offer a variety of unique programs which provide production, research and support services and a grants program for artists and cultural organizations. The programs are designed to encourage independent and creative uses of new media technologies across genres; to help design and implement cost-effective models for disseminating information about these technologies and their artistic applications; to nurture opportunities for the exhibition of independent film and media works in all regions of the State; and to preserve the primary artifacts of the history of video, particularly as it has unfolded in upstate New York over the last quarter century.

1968-70 Ralph Hocking began the Student Experiments in Television project on the campus of Binghamton University. Along with students, community members were introduced to portable video production tools and techniques. In 1969 Angel Nunez taped “Bedford Stuyvesant Kids”, a street-tape which documented neighborhood kids arrested by police after stealing from a factory, This tape was shown widely throughout the State and proved instrumental in obtaining funding for a number of drug-related and inner city improvement projects. It was eventually broadcast by WNET-TV. Equipment was used by many community-based organizations. Ralph Hocking, Director.

1970-71 With support from the New York State Council on the Arts, Hocking incorporated SET as the Community Center for TV Production, a non-profit media center and moved to a loft space in downtown Binghamton. The initial programs emphasized production training for community organizations, educational institutions and individuals. In meetings with Nam June Paik, Hocking addressed artists’ uses of video and began a program to support the development of imaging tools. The programs included access to portable tools, instruction programs, exhibition of works, and a residency program for artists. We participated in the 8th Annual Avant Garde Festival. Equipment was used by the Veterans, NAACP, Awana, First Presbyterian Church, Owego Girls Club and many other civic, governmental and religious organizations. Woody and Steina Vasulka presented video works and installations. Ken Dominick, Coordinator.

1971-72 Funding was received from the New York State Council on the Arts for construction of the Paik/Abe Video Synthesizer. One system was designed and built in 1972 at the Center by Shuya Abe and Nam June Paik for eventual placement at the TV Lab at WNET-TV. This system was used while still at the Center by the TV Lab, including David Loxton, John Godfrey and Russell Connor, to produce a portion of Paik’s “The Selling of New York”, included in the PBS series Carousel, broadcast in 1972 by WNET. “Selling of New York” bacame a part of WGBH and WNET’s production “Tribute to John Cage” as well as the opening segment for “My Shuttle - New York - Moscow,” a collaboration with Dmitri Devyatkin, aired over the PBS system. A second system was built for the Artist in Residency program at the Center and used in 1972 by artists such as Nam June Paik, Ernie Gehr, Shigeko Kubota, Hollis Frampton, Jackson MacLow and filmmaker Nick Ray, and also included in exhibitions at the Bonino Gallery in New York and the Everson Museum in Syracuse. A February 25th, 1978 letter by Nam June Paik clarifies the vital support the Experimental Television Center (then in Binghamton) and Ralph Hocking gave to Paik and Shigeko Kubota in creating their tools and art. He notes that the Paik-Abe Video Synthesizer which had officially premiered at WGBH was not up to WGBH’s broadcast standard. The “tool was finally welded into [the] broadcast standard at Binghamton. [Paik writes that] “without Ralph Hocking, this machine would not have been completed.” While working with ETC, Paik made two of his well known sculptures, Video Bed and TV Cello. In February 1972 in a collaborative exhibition with Nam June Paik and Charlotte Moorman at the Everson Museum, TV Bed and TV Cello were exhibited. Shigeko Kubota completed “Duchamp-Chess” at ETC in collaboration with Ken Dominick. The piece was shown at the Whitney’s “Projected Video”; the Rene Block Gallery, New York City; the Kitchen at Mercer Art Center; and the Japan House Gallery in 1978. We assisted artists Joan Jonas, Tina Girourd and Carlota Schoolman with extended equipment loans. A raster scan manipulation devise was also constructed, the principles of which were defined by Paik’s early TV experiments such as “Dancing Patterns”. The Center’s name is changed to the Experimental Television Center. We participated in the 9th Annual Avant Garde Festival, produced by Charlotte Moorman. The Center produced Access, a weekly cable series of original programming produced by the community. Sherry Miller Hocking, Assistant.

1972-73 The Residency Program continued, including artists such as John Randolph Carter, Tom DeWitt and Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane, John Reilly, Joe and Patsy Scala, Rudi Stern, Ed Melnick, and Peer Bode. Walter Wright was an Artist in Residence, actively conducting workshops in electronic imaging throughout the State and Canada. Workshops were conducted for the New York State Art Teachers Annual Conference, and at the Everson Museum and The Kitchen. Works from the Experimental Television Center, a large exhibition produced for the Video Program, at the Everson Museum curated by David Ross, included installations, tapes and performances. Many individuals and groups from the community produced tapes, and participated in workshops. These tapes as well as artists’ tapes were cablecast weekly in the series “Access”, produced by the Center. Bob Diamond, Technician. David Jones, Technician. Walter Wright, Artist in Residence. Oscillators were designed by David Jones for use as signal inputs to the synthesizer. Initial research began into the Jones gray level keyer and production of a black and white keyer. Modification of an existing Sony SEG for direct sync interface with the Paik/Abe with provision for external wipe signal input

1973-74 David Jones became technician at the Center. Artists participating in the Residency program included Jean Pierre Boyer, Howard Gutstadt and Survival Arts Media, Tom DeWitt, Toby Carey, Lois Welk, Mimi Martin, Meryl Blackman, Francis Lee, Evangelos Dousmanis, Taka Iimura, Carlota Schoolman, Doris Chase, and Michael LV Butler. We conducted a regularly scheduled series of workshops on the basic principles of video production. Workshops in imaging and synthesis were also held regularly at the Center; Walter Wright presented the system at many locations, including the Kitchen, Global Village and at York University in Toronto. We provided equipment support for Astral Projections: A Polyfusion of Media, at the Rochester Planetarium. We consulted with the Lake Placid Video Theater, the Collective for Living Cinema, and attended the Video in New York State conference at the Whitney Museum and the Video and the Museum conference at the Everson Museum. Oscillators were designed for use as signal inputs to the Paik/Abe Synthesizer. We hosted the Gay Video Workshop, a three day workshop for gay media artists, and presented a concert by Richard Landry We begin initial research into the Jones gray level keyer and production of a black and white keyer, as well as modification of an existing SEG for direct sync interface with the Paik/Abe, with provision for external wipe signal input. The equipment we design and create is either not available commercially or is so expensive it is beyond the reach of independent artists.

1974-75 Artists included Gary Hill, Arnie Zane, Neil Zusman, and Jane Wright. Workshops and performances based on image processing were conducted at The Kitchen, Anthology Film Archives and the Contemporary Art Museum in Montreal. NYSCA supported a series of traveling performances by Walter Wright on the video synthesizer. Over ten organizations throughout New York State and Canada took part. The workshop program at the Center included Basic Video Synthesis and Advanced Video Synthesis by Walter Wright; Black and White Imagery by Meryl Blackman and Peer Bode; Digital Video by Don McArthur; Video for Young People; Photography by Van Dousmanis.. NYSCA provided funding for the development of the Jones Colorizer, a four channel voltage controllable colorizer with gray level keyers. The oscillator bank was completed and installed. In April 1975 the SAID (Spatial and Intensity Digitizer) was developed by Dr. Don McArthur, an outgrowth of research on black and white time base corrector. Work was begun by David Jones, Don McArthur and Walter Wright on a project to explore computer-based imaging, and the interface of a computer with a video processing system. This project was initially based on an LSI-11 computer. The Experimental Television Center and Woodstock Community Video jointly sponsored several performance events, including a showing of tapes from Expovision and discussion of works by Ken Mash of WCV and the showing of works produced at the E.T.C. with a discussion by Walter Wright of the E.T.C. Collaborative performances included “Synergism 1,” a live event including video synthesis by Walter Wright and audio synthesis by Gary Hill of W.C.V.; and “Synergism 2,” a live performance of video and audio synthesis and dance with Sara Cook, Gary Hill, Ken Marsh and Walter Wright. Exhibitions included the 11th Annual Avant Garde Festival, Exprmentl 5 in Knokke, Belgium, Expanded Cinema at York University, MultiMedia Festival at Hofstra University, Videoscape and L’Image Electronique at the Musee d’Art Contemporain in Montreal. Director, Ralph Hocking; Assistant Director, Sherry Miller; Administrative Assistant, Helene Dorph; Engineering and Design, Richard Brewster, Paul Davis, Dave Jones and Don McArthur; Artists in Residence Meryl Blackman, Peer Bode, Michael L. V. Butler and Walter Wright; with Photography by Evangelos Dousmanis.

1975-76 The Residency Program included artists Nam June Paik, Phil Jones of Ithaca Video Projects, Ken Marsh, Ken Jacobs, Michael Convertino, Gary Hill, Joey Skaggs, Jim St. Lawrence for Channel 19 in Toronto, and Broadway Central in Kingston. David Jones, Walter Wright and Don McArthur participate in Tele-Techno conference sponsored by the VideoFreex/Lanesville TV. The National Endowment for the Arts in 1975 provided support for initial research into the computer-video processing project, which was expanded by Jones, McArthur, Wright and Brewster to incorporate parallel research efforts by Woody and Steina Vasulka and Jeffrey Schier. The LSI-11 computer was chosen as the standard. Jones developed hard and soft edged keyers and a sequential switcher, which along with the Jones Colorizer was incorporated into the processing system. A commercially available SEG was modified to incorporate these keyers. A 64-point push button switching matrix was designed and built. We began to write a manual, developed initially to be used as an operator’s guide to 1/2” reel-to-reel equipment, portapaks and editing equipment. The concept was later broadened to include step-by-step construction information on a Paik Raster Control Unit. By 1985, the information was expanded to include systems structure and theory of electronic signals and processing techniques. These manuals have been distributed to many individuals and organizations over the years. Sherry Hocking is a correspondent for TeleVisions magazine. The Regional Exhibition Program Audio and Slide Workshop, sponsored by the NYS Historical Association, was held at the Center. Cloud Music by Robert Watts, David Behrman and Bob Diamond was presented at Center. Johanna Gill interviewed Ralph Hocking for her research publication Video Art sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation. Tapes were presented at the Fifth International Experimental Film Festival in Brussels, Expovision at Woodstock Community Video, at Anthology Film Archives, Manhattan Cable Channel D and Media Study/Buffalo. Performances included Rhada, Couple 513, At the Crux of...and Track Dance with Bill Jones and Arnie Zane and the American Dance Asylum, as well as Movements for Video, Dance and Music by Peer Bode, Meryl Blackman and Company. Sonatina for Piano and Harpsichord by Nam June Paik was presented at Binghamton University. Walter Wright appeared in performance at Expovision at Woodstock Community Video. The tape library is established. We participate in the Internship Program for Off Campus College, Binghamton University providing credit and work experience for students. Richard Brewster, Technician. Brian Byrnes, Coordinator. Helene Dorf Antel, Secretary.

1976-77 Artists such as Barbara Buckner, Aldo Tambellini, Nam June Paik, Mary Ross, Percy Borde, Sara Dickenson, Carol Goss, Richard Salzman, Carl Geiger, Fitzgerald and Sanborn and the American Dance Asylum continued to participate in the Residency Program. The exhibition series, Video by Videomakers, was begun; this is the first and only video programming in the region and brings artists such as Beryl Korot, Barbara Buckner, Steven Kolpan, Richard Simmons of the Everson Museum, and many others to the area to present and discuss works. In collaboration with Binghamton University, we presented Videofictive, showcasing the work of Robert Longo, Vito Acconci and Ed Bowes. Works produced here are shown at the Herbert Johnson Museum; in New Work in Abstract Video Imagery and Information, Works and Activities, both at the Everson Museum; Museum of Modern Art, the Collective for Living Cinema, Open Stacks at Williams College Museum of Art, the Third Annual Ithaca Video Projects Festival and the CAPS Festival. The computer was installed as part of the system and made available to artists; software research began. For the second year, we conducted a series of workshops in school districts throughout the region, in collaboration with Binghamton’s major cultural institution, Roberson Center. Evangelos Dousmanis continues to offer a comprehensive series of photography workshops and exhibitions at the Center, including works by Arnie Zane, Anna Williams, Carl Geiger, Mary Ross and Van Dousmanis.

1977-78 NYSCA funding helped support the development by David Jones and Richard Brewster of the Analog Control Box, allowing the production of electronic sounds and also signals which controlled parameters of the video signal. The computer project proceeded, assisted by Paul Davis, then director of the student computer lab and instructor at the School for Advanced Technology at SUNY-Binghamton. Artists in Residence included Shalom Gorewitz, Sara Hornbacher, Steve Keeler, Mark Cavanagh, Steve Parr, Arnie Zane, Barbara Kristaponis, Henry Rudolph, Julie Harrison, David Held, Johanna Vanderbeek, Norman Pollack, and Hank C. Linhart. We conduct workshops for the City of Binghamton, Headstart, Tri Cities Opera, 4H Program and the Center for Media Studies at Buffalo. Exhibitions included Paul Bley and Sun Ra in New York; Art V, at the Albright Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo; Media Study/Buffalo; Roberson Center, Binghamton; University Wide Committee on the Arts at Binghamton; Arnolfini Art Center; Projects Video series at the Museum of Modern Art; Franklin Furnace; A Salute to NYSCA in NYC and The Meet the Maker series at the Donnell Library. We conducted workshops at Media Study/Buffalo, the 29th Annual NYS Art Teachers Association conference; and at the Center for Tri Cities Opera, the Headstart Program, and many regional schools. The Video by Videomakers exhibition series at the Center included presentations by Steina Vasulka, Peer Bode and Barbara Buckner. Peer Bode is Video Coordinator at the Center.

1978-79 Tapes produced at the Center were included in such exhibitions as New York in Abstract Video Imagery, a traveling exhibition produced by Richard Simmons of the Everson Museum; School of the Art Institute of Chicago; West Deutsch Rundfunke; Performance Gallery, Syracuse; Women, Artists Filmmakers at Global Village; tapes by Barbara Buckner at the Whitney Museum Biennial; Albright Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo; Media Study/Buffalo; the CAPS Traveling Festival.; Boston Film/Video Foundation; Holly Solomon Gallery; and the Fifth Annual Ithaca Video Project Festival. The Video by Videomakers screenings at the Center included video presentations by Shigeko Kubota, Gary Hill, Ernest Gusella and Ralph Hocking and photographs by Daile Kaplan. Artists include Peer Bode, Barbara Buckner, Doris Chase, Shalom Gorewitz, Sara Hornbacher, Taka Iimura, Henry Linhart, Mimi Martin, and Neil Zusman. We provided equipment assistance to the Roberson Center, Sullivan County Community College, Rape Crisis Center of Binghamton, The Vasulkas, BC Pops, Cooperative Extension of Broome County, the Broome County Red Cross and many other agencies. The computer interface continues to be developed, and the system includes a ¾” editing system.

1979-80 The processing system computer is the Z-2, an 8 bit system with an S-100 bus, and dual floppy drives. A CAT digital frame buffer is interfaced to the computer; at the time this is one of the only commercially available “low-cost” digital devices, which incorporated concepts of video, and recordable signal output. The Z-80 is interfaced also with the analog box. Software begins to be developed for specific video uses. Artists working in residence include Barbara Buckner, Rii Kanzaki, Alan Powell and Connie Coleman, Doris Chase, Shalom Gorewitz, Philip Mallory Jones, Charles Atlas, Victor Velt, Jud Yalkut and Ren Weidenaar. Ralph Hocking and Sherry Miller Hocking presented “The Electronic Workshop”, a series of lecture/demonstrations concerning image processing, for 17 organizations around New York State. Works produced at the Center were represented in touring exhibitions including the CAPS Exhibition, the 5th and 6th Annual Ithaca Video Project Festivals, the Everson Video Review and Video: New York, Seattle and Los Angeles, curated by Barbara London of the Museum of Modern Art. Video by Videomakers 1980 included presentations at the Center by Doris Chase, Peer Bode, Barbara Buckner, Shalom Gorewitz, Paul Davis, Maureen Turim and Harald Bode. The Center moves to Owego.

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