Although it's slightly preposterous to single out a piece of art as an absolute favorite, mine would have to be Christian Marclay's "Video Quartet", which is and installation comprised of four screens simultaneously playing clips from numerous films, edited together to make a kind of symphony of horns, whistles, vocalizations, taps, strings and any other sound Marclay manages to include.
I first saw the video quartet on a glum day while living in San Francisco, at the Museum Of Modern Art. It's one of those rare works that is equally understandable to a four year old and a forty year old. One of the constants in my life, has always been that any time I walk into a record store or a library or an art gallery, I'm always on the look out for something that will save my life, either instantaneously or on a rainy-day, and well, the video quartet was exactly that: musical, charming, humorous, awe-inspiring and above all else--entertaining, which I find is an adjective that should be encouraged more in the art world. (Christian Marclay's "Video Quartet" is currently in the Tate Modern's permanent collection) -jva
