Modeled after NBC’s long-running science program Watch Mr. Wizard, this tape features Torreano as Mr. Wizard instructing a skeptical boy on how to build a diamond out of pieces of wood. The boy remains unimpressed until Torreano uses a “video paintbox” to create flashy special effects. Painter John Torreano’s use of galaxy clusters as a reference for his fake jewel studded canvases and diamond-shaped sculptures suggested the nostalgic format of this video profile by MICA-TV.
MICA-TV was the collaborative effort between Carole Ann Klonarides and Michael Owen, who began making video portraits of contemporary artists in 1980. Unlike most film or video programs about art and artists, MICA-TV develops a unique video equivalent of the artist’s work—an approach stemming from the belief that a viewer can learn more about the artist’s work by seeing his ideas directly visualized in another medium. Klonarides is also an artist and curator; Owen owns and operates a film and television production company in New York City