Icebox Classic (1972)

Icebox Classic was made shortly after Arvanites moved to New York City to pursue his artistic career. It shows the hand of the artist outlining each of the myriad food products inside his refrigerator, while a classical music program plays in the background. “I was satirizing my art school experience where professors put up still lifes in class and then put on classical music.” By “drawing” in video Arvanites demonstrates not only how out of touch some of his classroom experiences felt, especially in relation to his own multi-media practice, but also his desire to deconstruct the romantic, idealized vision of the “the artist at work.” [AD&A Museum, UC Santa Barbara]