It has been suggested that in dreams, every character represents the dreamer. In this short video loop the artist painstakingly chases himself, exuding much effort, with no reward. The sensation of struggle is in turn emphasized by the transformation of the landscape, audio distortion, as well as the continuous loop.
Dream, 2007 – 35 secs
My work’s strongest connection is through me and is fueled by my everyday experiences and an obsession with time. I feel the constant pressure to be productive/efficient, but have the desire for tranquility. The work goes back and forth between a sense of anxiety and a sense of peace, which is caused by an internal restlessness. I struggle to find balance.
My background in painting is very important to how I approach the content and execution of my art. In a painting, I find myself responding mostly to the physicality/manipulation of the medium, and the mysterious quality in the constancy of the image. I want to treat video in a manner that considers the physicality of the material, including pixels, camera handling, and movement. Simultaneously, I want to deconstruct the most integral aspect of video, the timeline. I hope to establish a connection with the viewer, in a metal space that is similar to the one I enter when experiencing a painting, which activates emotions and stimulates thoughts, but does not necessarily suggest a specific predetermined conclusion. My attraction to the loop and gestural editing is driven by repetition, and its inherently compelling nature. When rhythm is established, a viewer can connect, and the details become accessible. A Key interest in my work is transitional state. I speculate that when I am in transit, that is where I find calmness. The stresses of point A and point B disappear in the space/time in between the two. It is in those moments and places I find myself free to think about any and every thing, or nothing at all, while becoming a purely sensory being.
There are other things that really inspire me; my concerns and interests on a broader scale such as spirituality, quantum physics, interconnectivity, philosophy, history and the future. The reason these topics are important is because I think this is how my work becomes accessible to others. These are the same topics I wonder about when pressured to produce or while in the serene transitional state. Everyone deals with peace and anxiety on a personal level, I think this is where the connection between myself and the viewer exists.
Adam Cruces – Kansas City Missouri
17 Days Video Series 
I think that this is one of the best videos I have seen so far this semester. Many people often think of a dream as this peaceful state that your mind goes into when asleep (or awake). I loved the juxtaposition of the title and the video it-self. The sound and video worked great together. I really felt the anxiety going through my body as my heart started to beat faster, my chest felt like it was starting to cave in and my body stuck as my muscles tightened the same way it would as if I just woke up from a bad dream. If a video can have that type of physical affect, It is good in my eyes.
The repetition in the video really made me frustrated and anxious. This video really brought on a feeling that often are experienced in my dreams of if I just went a bit farther or the dream was a bit longer then I could deceifer what just went on. The way that dreams are intangible in the waking state and the fleeting memories of them that soon fade, really brings on a feeling of unease, like it was important that they are remembered but hardly ever able to be grasped fully. The heightened sound and agitation of the video really conveyed the dream like state of surrealness.
When I watch this video I am reminded of my own dreams and the anxious thoughts I experience while I sleep despite my want of a more pleasing experience. The repetition successfully plays up that anxiety. I think the video would be successful without the figure running easily.
It’s a really simple expression of an incredibly complex idea. I didn’t really like the video until I had read the statement and got a better understanding of what Cruces was trying to get across. I liked the idea of tangible pixels, that’s a cool idea. And the simple expression of the video fits with the idea of the “everyday.” Also, there is a typo in the artist statement. I’m assuming he meant “mental state” not “metal” state.
i can empathize quite easily with what this artist is conveying in his work. i often struggle with balance and switching between anxiety and peace. i think that while one is watching this video, since we are so used to videos presented to us as a complete thought, we want or will the figure to run straight through, to catch himself. the frustration and anxiety comes from our reflection onto the figure.
The use of repeating clips almost over lapping added high tension along with some implied movement. The shot of the park reminded me of being a small kid and running fast on the grass. The audio was a great move it allowed the video to speak in a different way. quality
the concept of this videos is very universal for many artist as well as other people who the feel the pressures of society.