“Stream” is formed from a set of mental associations with the idea of “water.” A succession of shots, none lasting longer than one second, includes found footage such as cartoons, TV ads, and black and white films, plus original footage on watery themes. The soundtrack is likewise an assemblage of poetic, watery texts (read by computer voices) and watery sound effects.
A work of art which is made from a genuine stream of consciousness, where the mind is allowed to flow freely, wherever it naturally wants to go, and reveals, in the process, the nature of human awareness, can be an exhilarating artistic experience. “Stream,” on the other hand, covers a very different kind of territory: consciousness when it is boxed in, bound to a set of mental associations all linked artificially by the conceptual framework (“ideas related to water”) which is imposed upon it. The result provides the viewer with the experience of being stuck inside a concept: not a very exciting place to be. The fact that the video’s visual and sound values are crude and inexpressive does not add to the experience.
