Rhode Island School of Design

A story of a mythic samurai coming out of retirement for one final battle.

“Fur and Feathers.”

This rare collection of Ryan Trecartin's early short films, produced as a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, showcase the artist's maturation in experimental video which would culminate in his debut feature film - "A Family Finds Entertainment." Included are seven of Trecartin's titled short films, ranging from 2001-2003, and a number of secret extras scattered around the DVD menus. While there is no official information to be found about this DVD, the elaborate menu graphics and wildly varied original sound design point to this DVD as potentially a form of portfolio, allowing the artist to showcase their early work alongside original digital manipulations.

A short animated film

A guy is forced by his therapist to run, facing the physical and mental hurdles of a marathon.

In Kitchen Girl, Trecartin's frequent collaborator Lizzie Fitch throws herself into a state of total hysteria, portraying a girl who takes the childhood game of "playing house" to a dark and disturbing place. After pretending to cook dinner for her "kids," represented by colorful plush toys, she finds them lacking in appreciation of her efforts and throws them out the window. Fitch's overwrought performance is perfectly matched by Trecartin's skillful, hyperkinetic editing. Together they turn Trecartin's kitchen into a dimly lit world of mental trauma. Combining the innocuous with the malevolent, Fitch and Trecartin escort the viewer on a whirlwind tour of household dysfunction, child abuse, and isolation.

A house at the center is home to dog and cat. The sun shines down, and a day goes by. Thesis film from the Rhode Island School of Design.

“Cat’s Cradle.”

A Gold Medal recipient at the 1987 Student Academy Awards.

"This was my first animated film, produced at RISD in my junior year." - Jamie Maxfield

A short film showcasing the artist’s maturation in experimental video which would culminate in his debut feature film – “A Family Finds Entertainment.”

In Yo! A Romantic Comedy, Trecartin borrows clichés from hip-hop culture and genre films to craft a dark, dream-like narrative that veers from comic melodrama to goth fantasy. Applying his signature digital editing and delirious sound processing to remarkable effect, Trecartin creates an alternative narrative universe that suggests a kind of psychodramatic hyper-reality.