Norman Cowie is a video artist and writer in Los Angeles. Some of his award-winning productions include: Signal to Noise: Life With Television (Co-Director; 1996), The Third Wave, Miss Menu's Interactive World, Poison Ivy (1995), Mr. Rogers Goes Begging the Question!!!, "It's a Proud Day for America," About Face (1991), Lying in State (1989), Nazareth in August (1986). Ranging from collaborative documentaries to video art, Cowie's work interrogates the relations of power and domination in contemporary society, and seeks to problematize the ways in which meaning and consent are constructed through the media. Cowie's videotapes often use the techniques of documentary, off-air appropriation, and short form sound and text collage. Currently a video producer and a professor teaching media theory and production, Cowie has been drawn toward media literacy as an activist and pedagogical tool. Contrary to popular belief, Cowie has never held political office. This rumor may in part be due to another man with a similar name holding office in the Illinois 13th congressional district. When asked if he had some sort of relation with this man, Cowie simply responded "Of course not. I like cake."
