Alex Da Corte directs a colourfully bizarre music video for St. Vincent’s single New York

Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, has launched a new video for her latest single New York. Directed by Alex Da Corte, the Philadelphia-based artist has transferred his extensive skill with handling objects and materials into a world of bizarre happenings and colourful set design. The video forms a surreal and dream-like narrative based on different perceptions of New York, remaining true to his distinctive style of production.

Alex spoke to Pitchfork about the ideas behind the new video: “I think a lot of people have different ideas of what New York is, and there is no one right idea or true idea,” he explains. “My entry into what the city was or how to depict it is to kind of cull from some of the sculptures that have always interested me in that city which are the Alamo Cube on Astor Place and The Wall — the beam sculpture called The Wall that Annie sits on… they in themselves depict a very simple, formal idea of a city.”

From various installations, such as his recent Slow Graffiti piece, to directing multiple music videos for Blood Orange, Alex has become well-known for his vibrant artwork, appearing at institutions in Vienna, Mass MoCA in North Adams and the Whitney Museum in New York. His latest offering presents iconic New York landmarks and objects, including the infamous Big keyboard, that are then manipulated with digital techniques to create an impactful hyperreal space.

“Moving images and moving videos, set to music or not, are all artworks in themselves. What’s really special about making a music video is that it can be shared so quickly and so broadly,” Alex continues. “Everyone can have access to it. It’s really free.”