Everybody Loves Nothing

Book excerpt: Artist and writer Steve Reinke is best know for his video work, an acerbic oeuvre that spans over a decade and includes his most famous piece, The Hundred Videos, literally a hundred short videos in which he explores the myriad permutations of identity, sexuality and art. The titles of his videos - In the Realm of Perpetual Embarrassment, Sad Disco Fantasia, How Photographs Are Stored in the Brain are some examples - encapsulate the tenor of Reinke's work: deadpan, self-deprecating, personal and always funny. Composed of original and found footage (from home movies, training films, porn flicks), the videos are typically diaristic, often philosophical, even elegaic. The writing itself is extremely well-crafted, possessing a wit and intelligence that translated well to the page; what seems improvisatory on screen is in fact very polished and precise prose. Everybody Loves Nothing contains Reinke's scripts from 1996 to the present, accompanied by numerous illustrative stills. An extensive interview with filmmaker Mike Holboom provides a broad overview of Reinke's career, themes and ambitions. Introduction by Lisa Steele, artistic director of Vtape.