Light constitutes one of the most important materials in the work of Nan Hoover (1931–2008). Like Livinus van de Bundt, Hoover encountered video late in her career, at which point she devoted herself entirely to the medium. While Van de Bundt explored the technical possibilities of video as a means to work with light, Hoover primarily employed the camera and her own body. In Impressions, a hand moves through a long beam of light: it is as if the beam transforms into an object, whilst the finger appears to write with light. This early work demonstrates how, for Hoover, the video camera is an instrument – no different from a pencil.

Artwork: Nan Hoover, Impressions, 1978, video, 10’17’’