Shigeko Kubota was a visionary. She didn’t just work with video. She sculpted with it. Blending personal memory, Fluxus irreverence, and electronic media, she created powerful hybrid works that felt alive. Her infamous Vagina Painting performance turned gender norms on their head with unapologetic flair. Her video sculptures, like the haunting Three Mountains, transformed TVs into meditations on time, perspective, and the mutability of memory. These weren’t static objects. They breathed, shimmered, and flowed.

I’ve only seen her work online, but even through photos, the power is clear. The 2022 MoMA retrospective helped reignite interest in her legacy, and it’s about time. What moves me most is how she fused organic form with technology. Her use of CRT monitors and video loops to evoke rivers and mountains feels timeless, even as the tech ages. I want to take that spark and build something of my own.

With today’s tools such as microprocessors, flexible OLED displays, and tiny cameras, I see the potential for smaller, more intimate works that echo nature the way Kubota’s did. Imagine a sculpture that pulses with light and reflects the surroundings, held in your hands like a stone from the future.

Kubota was ahead of her time. The world is finally catching up.