Jonathan Brainin’s mesmerizing video pendulum art installation

If you’re looking to waste five or so minutes this weekend being hypnotized by an online video, we have an excellent recommendation: visual artist Jonathan Brainin’s Pendulum Video. Brainin’s Vimeo page has a number of work-in-progress videos of what he’s calling a “kinetic video installation.” Brainin describes the effect as “video feedback”; the effect is created through a video camera outputting to a monitor that the camera is pointed at, creating an infinite effect Then, a second smaller video monitor (that also appears to be displaying the camera’s output) is mounted and set swinging in front of the first display, like a pendulum. The effect is quite entrancing -- especially as the pendulum starts slowing down throughout the video. Brainin’s made a few of these videos so far, but this one is definitely the most successful at showing off his vision.

Pendulum Video (fast shutter speed) from Jonathan Brainin on Vimeo.