Experimental film and video art

[adjustment]

It probably isn't fair to compare Brakhage and Le Grice but that interview or debate that I read years ago always brings them together in my mind. I remember it being a bit aggravating but I should read it again. Much more fun is the Pauline Kael interview with Brakhage on ubuweb if you need some entertainment. I really need to see Le Grice's works again to get into what I was feeling or trying to say. I appreciate your points regarding him and it only makes it more certain that I will check out any screening if it comes up.

Re: Jacobs--he really is someone worth seeing but I think it gets a little repetitious at times. The Nervous Cinema pieces/performances anyway. They can be a bit of a chore on the eyes and while I am all for these sort of visually kinetic experiences--they dominate a little too much for my tastes. Not sure what the exhibition is that is going on but if you aren't that familiar with him, you really should go. Do you have any info on the exhibition? I am curious to see what it is.

Is there any recent work that interests you? One person I'm not too fond of is Peter Tscherkassky. I have no idea what is the fascination that people seem to have with his work but, again, I have been stuck seeing it at home. I thought some of the Gustav Deutsch work that I've seen (Weltspeigelkino, some of Film ist) has been interesting but I draw blanks after that.

[jpeatt]

It probably isn't fair to compare Brakhage and Le Grice but that interview or debate that I read years ago always brings them together in my mind. I remember it being a bit aggravating but I should read it again. Much more fun is the Pauline Kael interview with Brakhage on ubuweb if you need some entertainment. I really need to see Le Grice's works again to get into what I was feeling or trying to say. I appreciate your points regarding him and it only makes it more certain that I will check out any screening if it comes up.

Re: Jacobs--he really is someone worth seeing but I think it gets a little repetitious at times. The Nervous Cinema pieces/performances anyway. They can be a bit of a chore on the eyes and while I am all for these sort of visually kinetic experiences--they dominate a little too much for my tastes. Not sure what the exhibition is that is going on but if you aren't that familiar with him, you really should go. Do you have any info on the exhibition? I am curious to see what it is.

Is there any recent work that interests you? One person I'm not too fond of is Peter Tscherkassky. I have no idea what is the fascination that people seem to have with his work but, again, I have been stuck seeing it at home. I thought some of the Gustav Deutsch work that I've seen (Weltspeigelkino, some of Film ist) has been interesting but I draw blanks after that.

I didn't really mean to compare the two as much as contrast them. It's an interesting match off - I've never really thought of the two in comparison before.

As for recent work, well, I really love Tscherkassky. If you haven't seen them from film, you should reserve full judgment, but I certainly treasure my Index DVD. For myself, I just love the kinetic intensity of the work. It's astonishingly meticulous for such a laborious process. He takes what I love about Paul Sharits and blows it all up to Michael Bay/ Jerry Bruckheimer proportions (which is a guilty pleasure for me, these explosion movies). Take what you will from that.
I like Deutsch, but have only seen the 1st three Film Ists. I think the 1st is by far the best - the range of film in it was far more illuminating, to me. The material in the latter 2 seemed more familiar to me, and thus less engaging, although I enjoyed all three.
I'm probably not as familiar as I should be with recent work - there's not many names that come to mind. i get the pretty distinct impression that a lot of moving image work has moved to digital, which makes sense economically, but to my mind reduces the need for invention. There hasn't been much 'video art' that I've enjoyed of recent times.
I think I talked about some of the current expanded cinema types currently practicing whom I like a couple of pages back.
Let me know if I'm mistaken about that.

[adjustment]

As for recent work, well, I really love Tscherkassky. If you haven't seen them from film, you should reserve full judgment, but I certainly treasure my Index DVD. For myself, I just love the kinetic intensity of the work. It's astonishingly meticulous for such a laborious process. He takes what I love about Paul Sharits and blows it all up to Michael Bay/ Jerry Bruckheimer proportions (which is a guilty pleasure for me, these explosion movies). Take what you will from that.
I like Deutsch, but have only seen the 1st three Film Ists. I think the 1st is by far the best - the range of film in it was far more illuminating, to me. The material in the latter 2 seemed more familiar to me, and thus less engaging, although I enjoyed all three.
I'm probably not as familiar as I should be with recent work - there's not many names that come to mind. i get the pretty distinct impression that a lot of moving image work has moved to digital, which makes sense economically, but to my mind reduces the need for invention. There hasn't been much 'video art' that I've enjoyed of recent times.
I think I talked about some of the current expanded cinema types currently practicing whom I like a couple of pages back.
Let me know if I'm mistaken about that.

I did see what you wrote before. Excuse me. I guess I am always trying to find new work to see as I am usually disappointed. I know a lot of people have switched to digital and, definitely, like all art forms, the bulk is crap, but I see it having a lot more possibilities than what is left for film. For me, the avant-garde is pretty dead for film. I don't mind being proven wrong but the work I do get to see or hear about, just seems dull and I don't see how anyone can be using this old medium and supposed to be looking forward. The ol' handheld super 8 running around town, the footage rhythmically edited and set to a moody and introspective score (not that video isn't guilty of this)--that just gets me in the wrong way. Someone like Paul Clipson is okay but definitely not pushing the envelope along as far as progressing film as an art form and when I think about it too much, I really start to dislike it. So, I am just in search for a new school and not sure where it is--if it is out there.

[m.o'shaughnessy]

Takashi Ito : Spacey (1981) Thunder (1982) Grim (1985) Devil's Circuit (1988)

All great films, he's king of the single frame

Just came out with a DVD anthology

http://www.imageforum.co.jp/ito/dvd_e.html

Spacey (1981)

takashi-ito.jpg (101.66 KiB) Viewed 7288 times

[Damon_Smith]

I have been really interested in Sharon Lockhart lately:
http://www.ubu.com/film/lockhart.html
For whatever reason you can get the catalogs for both of these films for $1-6 now on amazon.
She does still camera, and is very rigorous. Teatro Amazonas is a still camera on the audience made up of locals from Manus in an opera house built in the 1800s durring a very dissonant new music choir performance.
Pretty amazing!

[splityourwig]

One of my all-time favorites, and absolutely vital viewing:

Frans Zwartjes Living - http://www.ubu.com/film/zwartjes_living.html

others:

Werner Nekes
Dore O.
Isidore Isou
Bill Viola
Jean-Pierre Bouyxou
James Benning
Jem Cohen
Pat O'Neill

[NO GOD RITUAL]

Takashi Ito : Spacey (1981) Thunder (1982) Grim (1985) Devil's Circuit (1988)

All great films, he's king of the single frame

Just came out with a DVD anthology

http://www.imageforum.co.jp/ito/dvd_e.html

takashi-ito.jpg

wow I just show ghost form takashi ito ,looks really good.I am now downloading Devil's circuit.

I think everyone should check out Frans Zwartjes and Shûji Terayama among others

Plus I found some days ago this great artist,called Paul Clipson.He does everything with super 8.Although I can only find some excerpts from his films,they look pretty impressive.

Check this out for instance

http://vimeo.com/10096163


And http://thesoundofeye.blogspot.com/ is a great blog with a lot of stuff in this thing we call "experimental film"

[billygomberg]

Plus I found some days ago this great artist,called Paul Clipson.He does everything with super 8.Although I can only find some excerpts from his films,they look pretty impressive.

Check this out for instance

http://vimeo.com/10096163

http://www.mimaroglumusicsales.com/arti ... ipson.html

this is a great DVD

[NO GOD RITUAL]

thanks a lot it looks amazing I am going to buy it for sure

[jeremyhegge]

great psychedelic films
ron rice - chumlum
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri= ... Th28C1ngn4
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri= ... oYmY9DXQG0
ira cohen - invasion of thunderbolt pagoda
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri= ... byW57mSma8 (bad quality excerpt)
i think the only way to watch this film is on dvd but it is worth it in my opinion, though it has it's flaws (bad symbolically sexual shots and they are pretty overt) most of the cinematography is beautuful. music by angus maclise on both films.