Setting aside my bias against video art, I allowed Miner's work to engage me. All but one video held me rapt with an attention span I forgot I had. In other words, Miner's work is better than most video artists, or at least more bite-sized. Miner's ability to propel a subject matter while utilizing a Southernly slow pace keeps his work fluid, despite the seemingly hand-held quality of the videos themselves. Miner focuses on still scenes, does not utilize the camera's ability to pan, and features limited movement.
The most successful work on display (likely why it dominates the gallery) involves Miner singing a lullaby to a baby (assumingly his own). The lyrics could be a hip-hop ballad rather than a lullaby, but the soothing tonalities and sing-songy melody let it be a lullaby, despite featuring lines like, "suck the head off that crawfish" and "a nigga like me" amongst other vulgarities. I can't help but be soothed while on edge anticipating the next lyrical content.
Miner's overall tone parody reaches a dry chuckle in all other videos, except an autobiographical tale of a honeymooning couple. This video, though philosophically investigative (what is happiness? why is it always greener on the other side, even on a honeymoon?), is a bit longer than his other shorts and requires dedication to the slow-paced narrative as well as dedication to the less-than-humorous intellectual content. This video would likely be appropriate for a philosophy class or personal reflection; thankfully the other four works balance the weight with bone-dry humor.
Miner clearly has a lot to say and utilizes his wit to say it. However, utilizing varying video techniques may strengthen his future work. As of now, the videos only slightly stray from piecing together photographs to sound, referencing his graduate school photographic field of study.
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