Documentation of Selected Works 1971-74

In this narrative performance for video, Burden tells the story of his relationship with a truck named "Big Job." To relate his autobiographical monologue, he sits deadpan before the camera with moving images of the truck behind him. Writes Burden, "During a six-month period, while the artist wrestles with the problem of owning an antique 16,000 lb. freight-truck, Big Job becomes a metaphor for personal insanity. I talk about the 'curse of Big Job,' my foiled plans to transform the truck into a rolling communications command post or a traveling museum, and my difficulty in getting rid of the rig. A true story."

short film by Chris Burden

The TV Commercials 1973–1977 (1973–77/2000) is a compilation of four video works—TV Ad (Through the Night Softly) (1973), Poem for L.A. (1975), Chris Burden Promo (1976), and Full Financial Disclosure (1977)—that were aired as purchased spots on television between 1973 and 1977. Burden notes: “During the early ’70s I conceived a way to break the omnipotent stranglehold of the airwaves that broadcast television had. The solution was to simply purchase commercial advertising time and have the stations play my tapes along with their other commercials.”

Back to You is a piece that attempted to deal with my own myth, the myth of me as the aggressive artist, threatening audiences the evil-kin evil of the art world. The tape begins with the voice of Eliza Bear and the piece actually takes place inside a moving elevator. And around the elevator shaft there were several monitors placed, so that, what you see is exactly what the audience saw at the performance. "Chris Burden has requested a volunteer. Will a volunteer please step up" A volunteer had been selected to participate. The volunteer is being escorted to the elevator. A sign in the elevator is instructing the volunteer to stick push-pins into Chris Burden."