The

Emergence,
Abstract
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Tabl eof Contents
" Legacy Al i ve: AnI ntr oducti on" by Br uce Posner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
" Ar ti cul ated Li ght : AnAppendi x" by Ger al d O' Gr ady . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
" Ci nema as aAnFor m: Avant- Gar de" Exper i mentati on" Abstr acti on" by Vl adaPetr i c . . . . . . . 3
" A NewReal i smTheObj ect" by Fer nand Leger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
" Tr ue Cr eati on" by Oskar Fi schi nger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
" Obser vabl e For ces" by Har r y Smi th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
" I mages of Nowher e" by Raul Rui z . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
`TI ME. . . on di t : Havi ng Decl ar ed aBel i ef i n God" by Stan Br akhage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
" Hi l l a Rebay and the Guggenhei mNexus" by Ceci l e Star r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Mar y El l en Bute by Ceci l e Star r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Statement I by Mar y El l enBute. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Statement I I by Mar y El l en Bute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Dwi nel l Gr ant by Ceci l e Star r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
, Statement by Dwi nel l Gr ant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Poemby Dwi nel l Gr ant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Oskar Fi schi nger by Wi l l i am Mor i tz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Oskar Fi schi nger i n Amer i caby Wi l l i am Mor i tz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Oskar Fi schi nger by Har r y Smi th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
J amesDavi s by Rober t Hal l er . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
LenLyeby Ceci l e Star r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
J amesWhi tney by Wi l l i am Mor i tz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Statement by J amesWhi tney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
J amesWhi tney by Wi l l i am Mor i tz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Har r y Smi th by Rani Si ngh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Hy Hi r sh by Rober t Hal l er . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Statement by Hy Hi r sh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Hy Hi r sh by Wi l l i am Mor i tz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
J or dan Bel son by Wi l l i am Mor i tz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
J amesSi bl ey Watson, J r . and Mel vi l l e Webber by Br uce Posner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Statement by J ames Si bl ey Watson, J r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Dudl ey Mur phy by Wi l l i am Mor i tz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Fi l mogr aphy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Bi bl i ogr aphy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Schedul e of Events at Har var d Fi l mAr chi ve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Sponsor s
Har var d Fi l mAr chi ve
Car penter Center f or the Vi sual Ar ts
Fi l m, Vi deo, Ani mati on and Fi l m Studi es, Vi sual and Envi r onmental Studi es,
Har var d Uni ver si ty
Anthol ogy Fi l mAr chi ves
Yal eUni ver si ty Fi l mStudy Col l ecti on
I nter nati onal Museumof Photogr aphy and Fi l mat Geor ge EastmanHouse
Vi si ti ng Ar ti sts Pr ogr amand Fi l mSoci ety, Massachusetts Col l ege of Ar t
Fi l mDepar tment, School of the Museumof Fi neAr ts Boston
Ci ner i cs, I nc .
Laur ence and Mar yel Locke
Ol i ve J ar Studi os
Acknowl edgments
Ar ti cul ated Li ght. TheEmer genceof Abstr act Fi l mi nAmer i cawasor gani z ed by
Br uce Posner , Assi stant to the Cur ator , Har var d Fi l mAr chi ve, wi th the knowl -
edgeabl ei nput of Wi l l i amMor i tz , Ceci l eStar r , Rober t Hal l er and StanBr akhage.
Thel eader shi p and gui danceof Chr i s Ki l l i p, Di r ector of theCar penter Center f or
theVi sual Ar ts, and Vl adaPetr i c, Cur ator of Har var d Fi l mAr chi ve, havebr ought
the pr ogr amto f r ui ti on. Ger al d O' Gr ady has of f er ed many hel pf ul suggesti ons
and, i n par ti cul ar , hasshaped thi s publ i cati oni ntoathoughf ul pr esentati on. Many
i ndi vi dual s have hel ped to br i ng together thi s most compl ete r etr ospecti ve of
abstr act f i l ms ever pr esented i n the Uni ted States. Gener ous thanks ar e ex-
tended to Laur enceand Mar yel Locke; J onas Mekas; Fr ed Macdonal d ; El f r i ede
Fi schi nger ; Bal az s Nyar i ; Davi d Ander son; El l i e Lee; Ray Wang; Saul Levi ne;
Mi chel l e Fur st ; Paol oCher chi Usai ; Mi chael Ker bel ; M. M. Ser r a; Angi eand Nancy
Pi ke; Peter Watson- Boone; Di aneKi tchen; Ki t Basqui n; Geor geMansour ; Edi th
Kr amer ; Mi chael Fr i end ; Rani Si ngh ; Char l es Recher ; Lar r y Kar di sh ; AnneMor a;
Kati e Tr ai nor ; Sabr i na Zanel l a- For esi ; J ohn Mi nkowsky ; Dan Mor gan; Steve
Li ver nash ; Cl ayton Mattos; Mur r ay Gl ass; Donal d Chauncey ; Peter Her wi tz ; and
Loui se Beaudet .
Pr i nt Sour ces
Har var d Fi l mAr chi ve; Yal e Uni ver si ty Fi l mStudy Col l ecti on; Anthol ogy Fi l mAr -
chi ves; Cr eati ve Fi l mSoci ety ; I nter nati onal Museumof Photogr aphy and Fi l m,
aeor ge EastmanHouse; Wi l l i am Mor i tz ; Oskar Fi schi nger Ar chi ves; Ceci l eStar r ;
f i l mmaker s' Cooper ati ve; CanyonCi nema; Museumof Moder nAr t ; Mi ami - Dade
Publ i c Li br ar y ; Br uce Posner ; Stan Br akhage; Ci nema Ar ts Col l ecti on- Gol da
Mei r Li br ar y, Uni ver si ty of Wi sconsi n, Mi l waukee; Har r y Smi th Ar chi ves; Em-
GeeFi l mLi br ar y
Edi tor s
Ger al d O' Gr ady
Br uce Posner
Desi gn
Donal d Watki ns
Cover Photo
Oskar Fi schi nger ' s Moti onPai nti ng No. 1 ( 1947)
2
J ames Whi tney studyi ng water cur r ents f or Wu Mi ng ( 1973)
Legacy Al i ve: AnI ntr oducti on
Br ucePosner
Ear l y 20th- centur y Moder nAr t hel d the possi bi l i ty f or the cr eati on of abstr act,
non- obj ecti ve i mager y, and thus avant- gar def i l mmaki ng al so sought out non-
r epr esentati onal ci nemati c methods. Col l ected her e ar ethewor ks of Amer i can
abstr act f i l mcr eated between1920- 1970 and sel ected pr ogr ams of i nf l uenti al or
associ ated f i l ms, and thei r pr ogeny . The maj or f i l m ar ti sts sur veyed ar e
r epr esented wi th al l extant pr i nts avai l abl e, of f er i ng a si ngul ar oppor tuni ty to
vi ewcompl eter etr ospecti ves of i ndi vi dual ar ti stsal ongsi dethei r contempor ar i es.
Wi th si x l ectur esand twopanel di scussi ons, theevent br i ngsto l i ght thevi si onar y
achi evements of these negl ected f i l mmaker s.
I n anever di z z yi ng mi l i eu of vi sual l y aggr essi ve i mages i n movi es, tel evi si on
and computer si n1995, i t standsas someki nd of j udgement that themaster wor ks
of abstr act ci nemaar e vi r tual l y unhear d of and def i ni tel y not pr ogr ammed i nany
vi abl e r eper tor y at ei ther commer ci al or academi c venues. Noonecul pr i t stands
to be accused, but the pi ty l i es i n the wasted beauty and the l oss of cr i ti cal
aestheti c di scour sethat coul d begener ated by thesegemsof ar ti sti c i nnovati on.
Oner eason i s that hi gh qual i ty pr oj ecti onpr i nts ar e near l y i mpossi bl e to l ocate.
Year s of r esear ch and detecti ve wor k have l ed to thecatacombs of someof the
wor l d' s l eadi ng f i l mar chi ves- onl y to f i nd f i l mpr i nts qui etl y succumbi ng to col or
f adi ng or oneor another of thedr eaded " syndr omes" af f l i cti ng f i l m stock thr ough
thei r chemi cal deter i or ati on. Fi l mdi str i butor s have cl osed or scal ed back thei r
oper ati ons i n the f aceof the decl i ni ng f i l m r ental mar ket and the astr onomi cal
expenseof mai ntai ni ng newf i l mpr i nts. Someti mes, i t' s assad assheer negl ect,
i n that thef i l ms havef al l enpr ey towhat J onas Mekashas poeti cal l y decl ar ed as
" the r avages of ti me. "
Onthe other hand, a commi tted gr oup of f i l m schol ar s, cur ator s, ar chi vi sts,
di str i butor s and the f i l mmaker s themsel ves have ear nestl y squi r r el ed away
cl assi csof abstr act f i l mmaki ng f or f utur e gener ati onsto eval uateand appr eci ate.
Among the per sever i ng f ew, atr adi ti onconti nues to br eathenewl i f e.
Sowhat has i ntr i gued someof the f i nest ar ti sti c sensi bi l i ti es of thi s centur y?
The noti on to movei s per haps the def i ni ng char acter i sti c behi nd the abstr act
f i l m. The essays, bi ogr aphi es and statements that f ol l ow al l i l l ustr ate thi s
f asci nati onwi th movement as auni que qual i ty of moti on pi ctur e ar ts. Al though
i t i s agi veni nci nemathat the si ngl e pr oj ected f r ameand thei magether ei ni s as
stati c as apai nti ng hangi ng onthewal l , thecombi ned physi ol ogi cal ef f ect of the
per si stence of vi si onand the phi phenomenasets i n moti ontheappear ance of
movement onthescr een. Havi ng atr ai ncomedi agonal l y acr oss thescr een as
i f r i ght at the vi ewer or maki ng use of r api d- cutti ng to expand uponthe ti me-
spaceconti nuumar eexhi l ar ati ng ci nemati c exper i ences, but they ar enowher e
near as i ntel l ectual l y demandi ng as the expr essi ve and di sti nct movement of
col or ed shapes acr oss the f i l mi c pl ane. As one begi ns to under stand the
achi evements of the abstr act ci nema, i t becomes ver y appar ent that compl ex
i deas of gr eat si gni f i cance canbe ar ti cul ated sol el y thr ough movement.
Oskar Fi schi nger , undeni abl y thegr eatest pr acti ti oner of abstr act ci nema, pr oved
over and over agai nthe pr i mal power of amaz ement encompassed by the maj esti c
sweep of mul ti pl e l i ght gl yphs ar ci ng the enti r e l ength of the scr een i n ti ght
synchr oni z ati onwi th a musi cal accompani ment . Equal l y asi nspi r ati onal i s the
omni pr esent total i ty of f or m demonstr ated by J ames Whi tney' s mysti cal
abstr acti ons. I n Lapi s ( 1963- 66) , Whi tney madeuseof thousands of separ atel y
dr awndots uni f i ed thr ough composi ti onal desi gns to pr esent thevi ewer wi th a
non- ver bal exper i ence that i sn' t so much about a metaphysi cal i dea as i t i s a
metaphysi cal exper i ence i n i tsel f . Stan Br akhage conti nues to enl ar ge the
possi bi l i ti es of vi si on, cur r entl y hand- pai nti ng thousands of i ndi vi dual f r ames of
f i l m i n or der to char t the path of abstr act i mages str eami ng thr ough hi s
consci ousness.
Vi sual l y and themati cal l y, abstr act ar t has devel oped al ong sever al l i nesof i nqui r y,
such as spi r i tual , non- obj ecti ve, abstr act expr essi oni sm, and other s, but
abstr acti ons al so canbe r ead outsi de of these constr i cti ve nomencl atur es as
pur ei mager y set f r ee of theconstr ai ntsof i nci si ve r epr esentati onal i nter pr etati on.
Add toastati onar y abstr act composi ti onthedi mensi onof actual movement and
the associ ated cor ol l ar y el ement of ti me ( movement i nti me i s agi veni n f i l m) ,
and theabstr act f i l mshi f ts i nto theact of consci ousness i tsel f . Each per soncan
r ead the f i l ms i n ahi ghl y per sonal i di osyncr ati c manner somewhat aki n to a
psychi atr i c Ror schach test . Al though anar ti st cancl ai mauthor i ty over the content
of hi s cr eati on and i ts desi r ed i mpact, thevi ewer ' s exper i ence i s domi nated by
thei r owni mpr essi oni sti c, moment- to- moment per ceptual r eadi ng of the r i bbon
of i mages. Gi venthebr eadth of acti vi ty i npsychol ogi cal and psychi atr i c r esear ch
dur i ng thi s centur y, i t i s sur pr i si ng to f i nd abstr act ci nema so over l ooked as a
vi tal wor ki ng model of thei nner mi nd .
Paul Shar i ts, af i l mar ti st whoi s r epr esented i nthe r etr ospecti ve by a" l ocati onal "
dual scr een- pr oj ecti onenti tl ed Dr eamDi spl acement ( 1976) , pur sued thestudy
of the physi ol ogi cal aspects of f i l m per cepti on and thei r r el ati onshi p to the
mechani cs of f i l m mor e thor oughl y than any other f i l mmaker thi s centur y. Hi s
f i l msar econceptual l y engagi ng but thei r r eal wor th l i esi ntheel oquent beauty of
thei mages bl az i ng i n f r ont of thespectator onthescr een. Theshar ed pr esence
of movi ng col or s, shapes and f or ms i s thegr eat l egacy of abstr act ci nema. The
waves of pl easur egr anted thr ough the exper i ence of watchi ng i s par amount to
any under standi ng of humanconsci ousness past, pr esent or f utur e.
Br uce Posner , Assi stant to the Cur ator of Har var d Fi l m Ar chi ve, Cur ator of
Ar ti cul ated Li ght: TheEmer genceof Abstr act Fi l mi nAmer i ca
Arti cul ated Li ght : AnAppendi x
Geral d O' Grady
WhenLewi s J acobs publ i shed The Ri se of the Ameri canFi l mi n 1939, he di d not menti on
experi mental f i l m. I t was onl y i n the second revi sed edi ti on ( 1968) that he added anessay,
" Suppl ement : Experi mental Fi l mi nAmeri ca, 1921- 1947, " whi ch he had ori gi nal l y publ i shed i n
1949 .
I na si mi l ar manner, to Vol ume5 of thecurrent Hi storyof the Ameri canCi nema under the general
edi torshi p of Charl es Harpol e, Ti no Bal l i o' s Grand Desi gn: Hol l ywood as a ModernBusi ness
Enterpri se, 1930- 1939 ( 1993) , there i s appended a tenth and l ast chapter, " Avant- Garde Fi l m, "
wri tten by J an- Chri stopher Horak.
Abstract f i l m, andother ki nds of experi mental f i l mmadei nAmeri ca, haveal ways beenmargi nal i z ed,
and the exhi bi ti on of Arti cul ated Li ght: The Emergence of Abstract Fi l mi nAmeri ca, " the most
comprehensi veretrospecti ve of abstract f i l mever mounted, " shoul dserveas anoccasi onto radi cal l y
redi rect f i l mschol arshi p i nthi s area.
I nbetweenthe publ i cati ons byJ acobs and Bal l i o, f i l mstudybecameanacademi c subj ect, andwas
i nf l ected ( andi nf l i cted) bysemi oti cs, psychoanal ysi s, structural i sm, pol i ti cal i deol ogy, andthe panopl y
of post- modernmoves nowknowsi mpl y as " theory. " I t has beenaschol arshi pl argel y commi ttedto
the domi nant commerci al narrati ve ci nema and i ts di stri buti ononMai nStreet and transmi ssi onon
tel evi si on, and has shownl i ttl e i nterest i nthe works of vi sual arti sts whi ch have beensustai ned by
museums .
Weare not wi thout a f ewnormati ve studi es, such as Standi sh D. Lawder' s Cubi st Ci nema ( 1975) ,
Robert Russett and Ceci l e Starr' s Experi mental Ani mati on: Ori gi ns of a NewArt ( 1976) , andWi l l i am
C. Wees' Li ght Movi ng i n Ti me: Studi es i n the Vi sual Aestheti cs of Avant- Garde Fi l ms ( 1992) .
There are al so books by the makers themsel ves, such as StanBrakhage' s Metaphors of Vi si on
( 1963) , J ohnWhi tney' s Di gi tal Harmony. Onthe Compl ementari ty of Musi c and Vi sual Art ( 1980) ,
and LenLye' s Fi gures i nMoti on: Sel ected Wri ti ngs ( 1984) .
The best resources f or the study of abstract f i l mconti nue to be the catal ogues of art exhi bi ti ons,
such as The Spi ri tual i nArt . Abstract Pai nti ngs 1890- 1985, organi z ed by Mauri ce Tuchmanat the
Los Angel es County Museumof Art i n 1986, whi ch contai ns a superb essay on" Abstract Fi l mand
Col or Musi c" by Wi l l i amMori tz , and eventhecurrent Pi et Mondri an1872- 1944, organi z edf or the
Nati onal Gal l ery of Art and The Museumof ModernArt i n NewYork i n 1995 byAngel i ca Zander
Rudenstei nand others ; i t i s worth noti ng that MOMAsi mul taneousl y mounted StanBrakhageA
Retrospecti ve: 1977- 1995. I n hi s essay onMondri an' s career, " The I conocl ast, " Yve- Al ai n Boi s
caref ul l yel uci dates thearti st' s l i f e- l ong thi nki ng onthe" abstract- real " i npai nti ng and hi s comments
onabstract f i l m i n " Tri al ogue, " publ i shed i n DeSti j l i n October, 1919, and readi l y avai l abl e i n
transl ati oni n Marti nJ ames and Harry Hol tz man, ed. , The NewArt - The NewLi f e: The Col l ected
Wri ti ngs of Pi et Mondri an( 1986) .
Abstroni c by MaryEl l enBute c. 1952: Museumof ModernArt Fi l mSti l l Archi ve
Ci nemaas anArt Form:
Avant- Garde" Experi mentati oneAbstracti on
Vl adaPetri c
Li keal l trueart f orms, ci nemacannot progress onanaestheti c l evel wi thout expl ori ng newexpressi ve
means that are uni queto the medi umof f i l m. Amovi e mayi ncl ude aestheti c el ements bel ongi ng to
other arts ( e. g. , l i terature, theater, musi c, archi tecture, desi gn, sti l l photography) , and yet l ack
ci nemati c i mpact . I t i s the ci nemati c i mpact, above al l , that i s the core of f i l mas anart f orm: to
achi eve i t, the f i l mmaker must ( a) have the sensi ti vi ty to convey hi s or her i deas, emoti ons, and
vi si ons i na waythat i s speci f i c to ci nema, and ( b) possess thetal ent to aestheti cal l y i ntegrate the
f i l mi c devi ces wi thi n the overal l f i l mstructure.
Experi mentati onhas al ways beentaboo i ncommerci al producti on, andconsequentl yexperi menti ng
i nci nema has beencarri ed onby avant- garde f i l mmakers who consi der ci nema as anart f orm.
Li mi tedby thedomi nant code of f i l mproducti on, other di rectors of ten" smuggl e" the unconventi onal
f orms of ci nemati c expressi oni nto thei r narrati ve f i l ms . Whenthey succeed i n doi ng thi s, thei r
f i l ms- or more of ten parti cul ar sequences- transcend a mere recordi ng of acti oni nf ront of the
camera.
Avant- gardef i l mmakers ref useto becapti ves to thecommerci al producti onsystem. Consequentl y,
they expl ore ci nema as a uni que expressi ve means wi th the i ntenti on of achi evi ng ani nnovati ve
aestheti c structure: they experi ment wi th i mage and sound as autonomous el ements, " l i berated"
f romboth narrati ve and representati onal f uncti ons, whi ch of tenresul ts i nabstract structures . As i n
musi c, i t i s wi thi n the abstract f ramework that f i l mi c devi ces begi nto f uncti ononthei r ownterms,
of tensi mul taneousl y representi ng f ormand content .
Abstracti on i nci nema i s cruci al f or the aestheti c advancement of the medi um, as i t opens a new
possi bi l i ty f or f i l m creati on, a possi bi l i ty that canal so be usef ul to di rectors who make narrati ve
f i l ms that aspi reto be arti sti c . As aresul t, the most powerf ul sequences i ngreat f i l ms represent the
hi ghest l evel s of ci nemati c expressi on. Ei senstei nadmi ttedthat hi s f i l ms, i n f act, consi st of several
short avant- gradef i l ms whi chare connectedand surrounded bya narrati ve di scourse. Cl earl y, i t i s
not enough to empl oy unconventi onal means to produce agreat f i l m, because novel tyal one does
not guarantee art . However ef f ecti ve and ori gi nal they maybe, f i l mi c devi ces are i nsuf f i ci ent per
se: to f uncti onaestheti cal l y they must be successf ul l y i ntegrated, f i rst among themsel ves, then
3
I t wi l l not be possi bl e f or thef i l ms exhi bi ted i nArti cul ated Li ght to be properl y expl i cated except by
those wi l l i ng to saturate themsel ves i nthe hi stori es of art and of musi c. And much more. I nthe
materi al s publ i shed here, Raul Rui z i ntroduces percepti on, StanBrakhage cogni ti on( and much
more) , Oskar Fi schi nger creati on, MaryEl l enButetechnol ogy, and al most al l ref er to the other arts,
as i n Harry Smi th' s movi ng l etter to Hi l l a Rebay onscreeni ng hi s f i l ms f or j az z musi ci ans and
recordi ng thi rty tapes of the reacti ons . Manyof the makers were al so nurtured by phi l osophy and
theosophy, j ust as Mondri anwas, and J ames Whi tneywas i nf l uenced by mysti cal di sci pl i nes and
contemporary physi cs .
Thus, the trul y schol arl y study of these works wi l l be based ontheori es and experi mental data on
percepti on, cogni ti on, and the creati ve process- anatomy, physi ol ogy, and psychol ogy; a caref ul
readi ng of phi l osophy, rel i gi on, andsci ence; a commi tment to atheory of aestheti cs expl ori ng al l of
the arts- emoti ons, f eel i ng, and states of consci ousness- l i ght, moti on, and rhythm-
metamorphoses, gradati ons, and synergi es ; and a knowl edge of the machi nes bui l t by the arts+
themsel ves.
What i s neededi s a mi ndl i ke that of SusanneK. Langer whoserel evant work I bri ef l y outl i ne, si nce
i t has not beenbrought to bear onabstract f i l mbyanyone. Her f i rst essayonthe subj ect, " Abstracti on
i n Sci ence andAbstracti oni nArt, " was publ i shed i n Paul Henl eet al . , ed. , Structure, Method, and
Meani ng: Essayi nHonor of HenryM. Shef f er ( 1951) , andl ater as anappendi xto her ownProbl ems
of Art: TenPhi l osophi cal Lectures ( 1957) . Sheconti nuedto put pressureontheconcept of abstracti on
throughout Feel i ng and Form: A Theory of Art ( 1953) , thenput f orward her newf i ndi ngs on
percepti on, cogni ti on, the act of maki ng, and aestheti cs i n" Ona New Def i ni ti onof ' Symbol , " ' and
" Emoti onand Abstracti on" i n Phi l osophi cal Sketches ( 1962) , and gave us the f ul l est devel opment
of her thi nki ng i n " A Chapter onAbstracti on" i nthe f i rst vol ume of her Mi nd: AnEssayonHuman
Feel i ng ( 1967) .
I do not put her work f orward becauseshewroteonf i l m; her oneshort essay, " ANote onFi l m" ( f i ve
pages) was i tsel f the appendi xto Feel i ng andFormand her onl y other i nvol vement was repri nti ng
Andre Mal raux' s " Sketches f or a Psychol ogy of the Moti onPi cture" i n her Ref l ecti ons onArt . A
SourceBook of Wri ti ngs byArti sts, Cri ti cs, andPhi l osophers ( 1958) . I put i t f orward because, wi th
the excepti onof the technol ogy, she treats al l of the other topi cs wi th the ki ndof depth, compl exi ty,
and i nteracti onbetweenthemthat wi l l be requi red of the schol ars of abstract f i l m. She hersel f was
i nf l uenced by Ernst Cassi rer' s Phi l osophy of Symbol i c Forms; and he wrote onthe De Docta
I gnoranti a of Ni col as de Cusaas wel l as onPl ato and Kant ; and both Cassi rer and Langer woul d
have beenwi l l i ng to read J ohnWhi tney' s Pythagoras and StanBrakhage' s Abbess Hi l degardvon
Bi ngeenwi th care i norder to provi de proper i l l umi nati onf or thei r f i l mi c art .
Geral d O' Grady, Vi si ti ng Schol ar at Harvard Uni versi ty
Fi l msti l l i mage by J ames Davi s: Anthol ogy Fi l mArchi ves
wi th al l other el ements of the f i l mstructure. Onl y whenexecuted i n anaestheti c manner do they
contri bute to the arti sti c val ue of thef i l m.
As l overs of ci nema, avant- garde f i l mmakers are true arti sts who do not makeconcessi ons, eveni f
of f ered great f i nanci al rewards . Thei r mai nconcerni s that thei r f i l ms generatea ki nestheti c i mpact,
and ef f ect the vi ewers i n anaestheti c manner. To achi eve thi s, they i mmerse themsel ves i nthe
ref l exi ve i nteracti on of numerous components that consti tute the f i l m structure; worki ng f romthe
i nsi de to the outsi de, they search f or unconventi onal ci nemati c f orms and ori gi nal structures, f ul l y
cogni z ant of the compl exi tyof the medi um, as wel l as of the di f f i cul ty i ndeal i ng wi th ci nema as an
art f orm. The best avant- garde- especi al l y abstract- f i l ms generate the most powerf ul ki nestheti c
i mpact that cannot be achi eved i nanyother medi um.
MayaDerenexpl ai nedthat trul yci nemati cf i l ms represent a" verti cal expl orati on" wi thi nthe" hori z ontal
progressi on" of the narrati ve. She compared themwi th the way i n whi ch sonnet- l i ke passages
f uncti onwi thi nthe dramati c devel opment of Shakespeare' s pl ays, mostl y at the cl i macti c poi nts of
the conf l i ct- expressi ng i ntense emoti ons and prof ound phi l osophi cal vi ews . The ci nemati c f orm
of thesesonnets i s essenti al to thethemati c si gni f i cati onof thesol i l oqui es- theymakethem" poeti c, "
whi l eat thesame ti meexpandi ng, deepeni ng, and enhanci ng thei r meani ng. The most successf ul
avant- garde works are " ci nemati c sonnets, " someti mes exi sti ng as enti ti es i nand of themsel ves,
and someti mes as sequences i ncl udedwi thi nnarrati ve f i l ms. I have beendreami ng of col l ecti ng al l
theseci nemati c sonnets, andcompi l i ngthemi nto anepi c ci nemati c poem; eventhough i ts durati on
woul d hardl y l ast more thantwenty hours, i t woul d represent the ci nemati c essence of the enti re
hi story of f i l m.
Avant- garde f i l mmakers are genui ne poets of ci nema. Theyf ol l ow thei r creati ve i nsti ncts i n
expressi ng thei r ci nemati c vi si ons wi thout cari ng f or the popul ar success of thei r work. Whenthei r
f i l ms prove to beori gi nal , ci nemati c, and arti sti c, theyef f ect the vi ewers i nthewaythat onl y ci nema
can, becomi ngoutstandi ng achi evements, whi ch mark i mportant phases i ntheevol uti onof thef i l m
medi um. As Lewi s J acobs stated, " Everythi ng that i s uni que i nci nema begi ns and ends wi th the
avant- garde. " Manyf i l ms i nthi s retrospecti ve are genui ne ci nemati c sonnets .
Vl adaPetri c, Curator of Harvard Fi l mArchi ve, f romthef orthcomi ngbook, Neo- Aestheti cs of Ci nema.
ANewReal i sm- TheObj ect
( i ts pl asti c andci nemati c graphi c val ue)
FernandLeger
Every ef f o rt i n thel i ne o f spectacl eo r mo vi ngpi cturesho ul dbeco ncentratedo n bri ngi ng o ut the
val ues o f theo bj ect- evenat theexpenseo f thesubj ect ando f every o ther so cal l edpho to graphi c
el ement o f i nterpretati o n, whatever i t may be.
Al l current ci nemai s ro manti c, l i terary, hi sto ri cal expressi o ni st, etc. Let usf o rget al l thi s andco nsi der,
i f yo u pl ease: api pe- achai r- a hand- aneye- atypewri ter- a hat- af o o t, etc. , etc.
Let usco nsi der thesethi ngs f o r what they canco ntri buteto thescreenj ust asthey are- i ni so l ati o n-
thei r val ueenhancedby every kno wnmeans. I n thi s enumerati o nI havepurpo sel y i ncl udedparts
o f thehumanbo dy i n o rder to emphasi zethef act that i n thenewreal i smthehumanbei ng, the
perso nal i ty, i s i nteresti ngo nl y i nthesef ragmentsandthat thesef ragmentssho ul dno t beco nsi dered
o f any mo rei mpo rtancethanany o f theo ther o bj ects l i sted.
Thetechni queemphasi zedi s to i so l atetheo bj ect o r thef ragment o f ano bj ect andto present i t o n
thescreen i n cl o se- ups o f the l argest po ssi bl escal e. Eno rmo us enl argements o f ano bj ect o r a
f ragment gi vei t aperso nal i ty i t never hadbef o reandi nthi s way i t canbeco meavehi cl eo f enti rel y
newl yri c and pl asti c po wer.
I mai ntai nthat bef o rethei nventi o n o f themo vi ngpi cture no o neknewthepo ssi bi l i ti es l atent i n a
f o o t- a hand- ahat .
Theseo bj ects were, o f co urse, kno wnto beusef ul - they wereseen, but never l o o kedat. They can
bedi sco vered- andthey aref o undto po ssess pl asti c anddramati c beauty whenpro perl y presented.
Wearei n anepo cho f thespeci al i zati o n o f speci al ti es. I f manuf acturedo bj ects areo nthewho l e
wel l real i zed, remarkabl y wel l - f i ni shed- i t i s becausethey havebeenmadeandchecked by
speci al i sts.
I pro po seto appl y thi s f o rmul a to thescreen andto study thepl asti c po ssi bi l i ti es l atent i n the
enl argedf ragment, pro j ected ( as acl o seup) o nthescreen, speci al i zed, seen andstudi edf ro m
every po i nt o f vi ewbo thi n mo vement andi mmo bi l e.
Herei s awho l enewwo rl do f ci nemato graphi c metho ds.
Theseo bj ects, thesef ragments, thesemetho ds arei nnumerabl e- l i mi tl ess.

Li f e i s f ul l o f them.
Let us seethemo nthescreen.
Pl exi gl ass Pai nti ngo f Mo ti o nPai nti ng No . 1 by Oscar Fi schi nger, 1 947: Fi schi nger Archi ve
TrueCreati o n
Oskar Fi schi nger
At thebegi nni ng o f the great unkno wno f al l begi nni ngs therei s theI dea, a kno wl edgepro f o und
and unco nsci o us, a f eel i ng, avi si o no f the I deal , apathto f o l l o w, o f everythi ng, o f theco ncl usi o n
and o f theend- o f whi chtherenever i s o ne.
Thearenao f theexperi mental i s thearenao f co nsci o usness that awakes andstretches, theti meo f
searchi ng, thedi sco very o f a metho d o f do i ng thi ngs, o f devel o pi ng metho ds andtechni ques-
whi chmust co rrespo ndto themeani ngandharmo ni zewi thi t . Unco nsci o us vi si o n o f thebegi nni ng.
Thenco mes aperi o do f studyi ng thepo ssi bi l i ti es o f asati sf acto ry o r i deal techni que, o r o f ametho d
that wi l l gro wi nto theco mpl eteness, thereco gni ti o n, theco ntro l o f themeans o f expressi o nunti l
that i t canbeco meawo rk o f art . Fi nal l y co mesthemo ment to rej ect al l that whi chbeco mestheto o l
o f thecreato r- thehumbl ehandthro ughwhi chthearti st expresses andreveal s hi msel f .
I f theci nemao neday beco mes an art f o rm, wewi l l o wei t to po o r, unkno wnmenwho havebo rn
great suf f eri ng wi thi nthem: menco mparabl eto Grunewal d, VanGo gh, Rembrandt, Mo zart, and
Beetho ven. Thesei nterpreters o f thecreato r, thearti sts, wi l l bereco gni zedthro ughthei r creati o ns,
so megenerati o ns l ater, o f tenaf ter thei r bo di es havero ttedanddi si ntegratedi nto theearth.
' I ewi l l o nl y f i ndtruearti sts andmasterpi eces amo ngtheso - cal l edexperi mental f i l ms andf i l mmakers.
hey actual l y usecreati vepro cesses. Thef i l mi sn' t " cut, " i t i s aco nti nui ty, theabso l utetruth, the
creati vetruth. Any o bserver canveri f y that, andI co nsi der mysel f ano bserver.
I wo rked ni nemo nths o n af i l m, Mo ti o n Pai nti ng No . 1 , wi tho ut ever seei ngapi eceo f i t. Al l I di d
was check theexpo surel evel o f eachro l l that cameback f ro mthel ab, so I o nl y sawthef i l mwhen
thef i rst co l o r co mpo si terel easepri nt was ready. Fo rtunatel y, I was rel i eved to seethat al l my
anxi eti es abo ut tho sehundreds o f " l i ttl etechni cal devi l s" that co ul dhavespo i l edso many mo nths
o f wo rk werequi teunj usti f i ed, I wasvery happy, andf el t adeep emo ti o nthat I canno t descri be-
but i t i s pro babl y so methi ng that o thers f eel o nsi mi l ar o ccasi o ns.
I want thi s wo rk to f ul f i l l thespi ri tual andemo ti o nal needs o f o ur era. Fo r therei s so methi ng weal l
seek- so methi ng wetry f o r duri ng a l i f eti me wo rki ng at f i l mmaki ng, al ways unsati sf i ed, al ways
cheated, al ways takenf o r ani di o t by thef i l mi ndustry, but ho pi ng despi teal l that, hereandthere,
o neday, perchance, so methi ng wi l l be reveal ed, ari si ng f ro mtheunkno wn, so methi ng that wi l l
reveal theTrueCreati o n: theCreati veTruth!
Thepo i nt i s to kno who wto " expl o i t" them- thepo i nt i s to f i ndo ut theri ght way o f usi ng them. I t i s
mo redi f f i cul t thani t seems.
To get theri ght pl asti c ef f ect, theusual ci nemato graphi c metho ds must beenti rel y f o rgo tten. The
questi o n o f l i ght andshadebeco mes o f pri mei mpo rtance. Thedi f f erent degrees o f mo bi l i ty must
beregul atedby therhythms co ntro l l i ng thedi f f erent speeds o f pro j ecti o n- l amuni teri e- 4heti mi ng
o f pro j ecti o ns must becal cul ated mathemati cal l y.
Newmenareneeded- menwho haveacqui redanewsensi ti vi ty to wardtheo bj ect andi ts i mage.
Ano bj ect f o r i nstancei f pro j ected at twenty seco nds i s gi ven i ts f ul l val ue- pro j ected at thi rty
seco nds i t beco mes negati ve.
Atransparent o bj ect canremai ni mmo bi l e, andl i ght wi l l gi vei t mo vement. Ano paqueo bj ect can
thenbemo vedi n rhythmwi ththetempo o f thetransparent o bj ect . I nthi s way aneno rmo usvari ety
o f ef f ects can beachi evedby theuseo f to tal l y di f f erent o bj ects havi ngi nthemsel ves abso l utel y no
expressi o n, but handl edwi th understandi ng andkno wl edge. Li ght i s everythi ng. I t transf o rms an
o bj ect co mpl etel y. I t beco mes an i ndependent perso nal i ty.
Takean al umi numsaucepan. Let shaf ts o f l i ght pl ay upo n i t f ro mal l angl es- penetrati ng and
transf o rmi ng i t . Present i t o nthescreeni nacl o se- up- i t wi l l i nterest thepubl i c f o r ati me, yet to be
determi ned. Thepubl i c neednever evenkno wthat thi s f ai ry- l i keef f ect o f l i ght i n many f o rms, that
so del i ghts i t, i s no thi ng but anal umi numsaucepan.
I repeat- f o r thewho l epo i nt o f thi s arti cl ei s i n thi s: thepo werf ul - thespectacul ar ef f ect o f the
o bj ect i s enti rel y i gno redat present .
Li ght ani mates themo st i nani mateo bj ect andgi ves i t ci nemato graphi c val ue.
Thi s newpo i nt o f vi ewi s theexact o ppo si teo f everythi ngthat has beendo nei n theci nemaup to
thepresent . Thepo ssi bi l i ti es o f thef ragment o r el ement haveal ways beennegl ectedi n o rder to
present vaguemo vi ngmasses i n theacti verhythmo f dai l y l i f e. Everythi ng has to besacri f i cedf o r
anef f ect whi chbears no rel ati o nto thetruereal i ty. Thereal i smo f theci nemai s sti l l to becreated-
I t wi l l bethewo rk o f thef uture.
- Li ttl eRevi ew, Wi nter, 1 926.
Fernand Leger, " ANewReal i sm- TheObj ect, " I ntro ducti o nto theArt o f theMo vi es: AnAntho l o gy
o f I deas o ntheNatureo f Mo vi eArt, ed. Lewi s J aco bs, NewYo rk: No o nday Press, 1 960, 96- 8.
Co mpo si ti o n#5, Fugueby Dwi nel l Grant, c. 1 949
Theusual mo ti o n pi cture whi chi s sho wnto themasses everywherei n co untl ess mo ti o n pi cture
theaters al l o ver thewo rl d i s pho to graphed real i sm- pho to graphed surf ace real i sm- i n- mo ti o n. . .
Therei s no thi ng o f an abso l utearti sti c creati vesensei n i t . I t co pi es o nl y naturewi th real i sti c
co ncepti o ns, destro yi ngthedeepandabso l utecreati vef o rcewi thsubsti tutes andsurf acereal i sms.
Eventheani matedf i l mto day i s o nal o warti sti c l evel . I t i s amass pro duct o f f acto ry pro po rti o ns,
andthi s, o f co urse, cuts do wnthecreati vepuri ty o f thewo rk o f an. No sensi bl ecreati vearti st co ul d
createasensi bl ewo rk o f art i f astaf f o f co - wo rkers o f al l ki nds eachhas hi s o r her say i n thef i nal
creati o n- pro ducer, sto ry di recto r, sto ry wri ter, musi c di recto r, co nducto r, co mpo ser, so undmen,
gag men, ef f ect men, l ayo ut men, backgro unddi recto rs, ani mato rs, i nbetweeners, i nkers,
cameramen, techni ci ans, publ i ci ty di recto rs, managers, bo x o f f i ce managers, andmany o thers.
They changethei deas f ro mbei ng bo rn, andsubsti tutef o r theabso l utecreati vemo ti ves o nl y cheap
i deas to f i t thel o west co mmo ndeno mi nato r.
Thecreati vearti st o f thehi ghest l evel al ways wo rked at hi s best al o ne, mo vi ngf ar aheado f hi s
ti me. Andthi s shal l beo ur basi c tenet : that theCreati veS pi ri t shal l beuno bstructed by real i ti es o r
anythi ng el sethat spo i l s thi s abso l utepurecreati o n. Andso wemust cut o ut thetremendo us
mo untai ns o f val uel ess mo ti o npi cture pro ducti o ns o f thepast andf uture- themo untai nranges o f
so ap bubbl es- andwemust co ncentrateo n theti ny go l den thread underneathwhi chi s hardl y
vi si bl ebeneaththegl amo ro us, sensati o nal exci tement, securel y buri edf o r al o ng ti me, especi al l y
i n o ur o wnera whenthebi g pro duci ng anddi stri buti ng mo no po l i es co ntro l every mo ti o n pi cture
screen i n anai rti ght gri p.
S o o nl y o neway remai nsf o r thecreati vearti st : to pro duceo nl y f o r thehi ghest i deal s- no t thi nki ng
i nterms o f mo ney o r sensati o nal success o r to pl easethemasses. Thereal arti st sho ul dno t care
i f hei s understo o d, o r mi sundersto o d, by themasses. Hesho ul dl i sten o nl y to hi s Creati veS pi ri t
andsati sf y hi s hi ghest i deal s, andtrust that thi s wi l l bethebest servi cethat hecanrender humani ty.
Transl atedby Wi l l i amMo ri tz
Oskar Fi schi nger, " La Veri tabl ecreati o n, " LeCi nema: AKno kke- LeZo ul e1 949, Brussel s: Festi val
Mo ndi al du Fi l met des Beaux- Arts deBel gi que, 1 949, 35- 37.
Observabl e Forces
HarrySmi th
Si nce I showed my f i l ms at the museumhere usi ng l i ve musi ci ans i mprovi si ng f romthe i mages
rather than f roma score, the musi ci ans who gather ni ghtl y i n the back roomof a caf e near here, to
pl ayf or thei r own amusement, af ter theyhavethei r regul ar j obs, haveaskedmetobri ng myproj ector
to thei r "J amSessi on" several ti mes, because noweveryone wants to try pl ayi ng whi l e l ooki ng at
the f i l m. I amsendi ng you some photographs taken at the museumof the musi ci ans who pl ayed
there, and whoarethe most advanced here. These peopl e are nowi ntui ti vel ycreati ng a newki nd
of musi c that wi l l not be accepted by the publ i c probabl y f or 50 years. They are al l real l y poor,
someti mes hungry, because they woul d rather express what they cal l "soul " i n thei r pl ayi ng than
hurt themsel ves bychangi ng i t to f i t the backward standards of today' s l i steners . As you probabl y
know, al l the popul ar musi cal devel opments of the l ast hundred years ( spi ri tual s, ragti me, j az z ,
bl ues, "Boogi e Woogi e, " Swi ng, BeBop etc. ) were made by i ntui ti ve, but uneducated, genuses' s
( si c) who di ed wi thout getti ng anymoneyor recogni ti on because they were l eaders and ahead of
thei r ti me by f i f ty or seventy years. Al l of the types of musi c I l i st above are worthl ess because of
thei r vul gari tyand stri vi ng f or ef f ect . But now, due to thesame f orces that gave bi rthto real an af ter
f i ve thousand years of obj ecti ve attempts, agreat change, unsuspected, to the worl d i s about to
occur i n musi c. Thi s i s too compl ex to di scuss here, but I hope to be nearer to you soon and wi l l
then descri bethe evi dence that I have. But to return to musi ci ans- Stanl ey Wi l l i s, a pi ano pl ayer
( weari ng an I ndi an hat i n thephotographs) sawmymusi c di agrams about ayear and ahal f agoand
HarrySmi thi n f ront of hi s sketches, 1950: Harry Smi thArchi ves
I mages of Nowhere
Raul Rui z
The hi storyof vi sual percepti on i ncl udes i nnumerabl e theori es. I ' d l i ke to quoteyou two, f romthe
studi es of Mol i neux and Cl erambaul t . Mol i neux asks: "I f aman bl i nd f rombi rth suddenl y recovers
hi s si ght and sees a sphere and a cube of whi chhe has previ ous tacti l e knowl edge, wi l l hebeabl e
to tel l themapart by si ght al one?" Thi s i s a questi on whi ch has provoked manycontradi ctory
repl i es. But whether wedeci de( as the nati vi sts do) that l i ke anyother human bei ng the bl i nd man
i s equi pped f rombi rth wi tharchetypal i mages of bothshapes, or that the i nterconnecti on between
tacti l e and vi sual experi ences al l ows i mmedi ate recogni ti on ( the empi ri ci st bel i ef ) , or that a peri od
of transi ti on i s requi red, or that vi sual obj ects appear as conti nuous surf aces ( such that a j oi nt
operati on of touch, si ght, and movement i s necessaryi n order to understandthem) , sti l l theunderl yi ng
pri nci pl e of each of these responses wi l l be the same, namel y that real i ty can be arti cul ated and
reproduced. Theoutsi deworl d possesses a grammar whi chwecan descri be and usetoi nvent an
enti rel y arti f i ci al worl d, to whi ch absol utel y f resh experi ences can be added, even i f they are
experi enced onl y i n that control l ed real i ty whi chwecal l a utopi an i mage. But the probl emi s not
real l y to deci de whether or not weare capabl e of i nventi ng a worl d whi chcan repl ace the enti re
worl d of our senses, but to di scover what other mechani cal worl ds are accessi bl e through thi s
utopi an vi si on .
Here are two very si mpl e exampl es whi ch bel ong to the audi ovi sual worl d that pref i gures utopi an
i mages. I n hi s memoi rs descri bi ng acataract operati on, Gaetan deCl erambaul t says of themoment
i n whi chvi si on suddenl yreturns: "Natural l y, at f i rst therewas ageneral i mpressi on of vi sual f l ux, as
though underwater. Then, an i mpreci se noti on of di stance, bri ngi ng thi ngs i nto cl oser range: i f I
wanted to pi ck somethi ng up, I knewf romexperi ence I had to reachsome ten centi meters f urther
than where I sawthe obj ect . . . . Every source of l i ght caused an i mperf ectl y geometri cal f i gure of
constant f orm. My ri ght eye sawsomethi ng l i ke a trebl e- cl ef , l eani ng backwards wi ththe l ower
el ement obl i quel y el ongated. At ni ght, the bri l l i ant l i ght of the street l amps and di spl ay wi ndows
appeared l i ke so manytrebl e- cl ef s. . . . For myl ef t eye, l ess af f ected, the f al sei mage was smal l er : i t
was l i ke a somewhat scal ene raspberry, I mean wi th an obl i que base, sketched out i n gl owi ng
f i l aments. . . . When thel i ght sources are numerous and cl osetogether, f or i nstancewatchi ng sunl i ght
tol d other musi ci ans about them. Those on the photo group al l got very i nterested i n mywork at
that ti meand most of themhad pl ayed wi ththef i l ms l ong bef orethe museumshowi ng . Hardl yany
of these peopl e can read musi c and manyhave troubl e even readi ng and wri ti ng Engl i sh, but f or
thesevery reasons they are of ten i n unknowi ng contact wi ththe true sources of creati vi ty. None of
themhad ever heard of modern pai nti ng but they al l appreci ated i t at once. The trombone pl ayer
( seated f ar ri ght) , f or exampl e, poi nted out manyremarkabl ethi ngs I mysel f had not noti ced i n your
"Royal l y" theveryf i rst ti me I showed i t to hi m. Last monthI l ucki l y borrowed a tape recorder and
made records of about thi rty di f f erent perf ormances of musi ci ans f ol l owi ng thef i l ms. Bycompari ng
these tapes wi th each other and wi th the f i l ms i t has been possi bl e to make a start toward an
i nvesti gati on of i ntui ti ve creati on. Byi nvesti gati ng these observabl e f orces whi chef f ect man, but
whi chare scorned by pedanti c sci ence, i t wi l l be possi bl ef or us soon to real i z e the f i nal stages of
man' s devel opment. I t i s not i mpossi bl e that your I nsti tute of Li ght i s the "Fi re" spoken of i n the
Bi bl e ( and i n Leonardo' s prophesi es) as heral di ng Armageddon and the begi nni ng of thenewworl d
I amusi ng part of each day on these i nvesti gati ons and one of my most usef ul tool s has bee
compari son of i ndi vi dual reacti ons to the f i l ms. . .
Harry Smi th, f roml etter to Hi l l a Rebay, J une 17, 1950, excerpted wi th permi ssi on of the Harry
Smi thArchi ves, NewYork.
i n the l eaves of atree, thewhol ef orms amost curi ousl ydi sci pl i ned ensembl e. Al l the f i gures seem
to be resti ng on asi ngul ar ki nd of gri d more i ntui ted than percei ved. For the ri ght eye ( the one
seei ng the trebl e- cl ef s) thi s gri d i s l oz enge- shaped. . . . For the l ef t eye ( the one seei ng the f l ami ng
raspberri es) thel i nks of thegri d aresquare. . . . The eye f romwhi chthe cataract was removed tends
to modi f y al l col ors by the addi ti on of a bi t of bl ue. . . . Strong, dark col ors are not changed; l i ght
col ors change sl i ghtl y i n domi nant tone, someti mes agreeabl y so: pi nk takes on a vi ol et hue, a
vi ol et- pi nk turns ararer col or sti l l ; stark tones tend to di sappear . " Apai nter who had recentl y
undergone a cataract operati on descri bed howhe saw cyl i nders everywhere, and had l ost the
noti on of ri ght- angl es: everythi ng hesawwas trapez oi dal . I t seems to methat thevi sual phenomena
descri bed by Cl erambaul t are two ki nds. The f i rst, arbi trary, compensatory i mages remi nd meof
Fl orenski ' s canoni cal si gns. The other coul d becal l ed aquati c i mages, or f l ux f orms, whi chi nvade
areas l ef t emptybydef ecti ve vi si on . Thi s process of compensati on i s what preoccupi es the archi tects
of utopi an i mages, whi ch are better known as vi rtual real i ty or computer graphi cs. There i s a
supersti ti on- or bel i ef , or sci enti f i c truth supported by experi ment- whi chsays that ci nema i s the
art of sti mul ati ng a part of the brai n that normal l y f uncti ons duri ng sl eep, by bombardi ng i t wi th
stati c i mages j uxtaposed so as to create the i l l usi on of movement . Vi deo, on the other hand, i n
whi chthe i mage i s l i qui d, i s sai d to sti mul ate another part of the brai n whi chf uncti ons onl ywhen
the bodyi s awake. Whether the di sti ncti on i s sci enti f i cal l y val i d or not i s i rrel evant here. What i s
i nteresti ng i s the suggesti on that wecan i ntervene to provoke vi rtual i mages by usi ng the brai n' s
compensatory mechani sms. Agroup of peopl e who are i nvol ved i n manuf acturi ng speci al ef f ects
f or the Lucas companyi n Hol l ywood di scussed wi th me the possi bi l i ty of maki ng "personal i z ed"
ani mated f i l ms excl usi vel y out of suchi mages. The pri nci pal obstacl e i s that the brai n needs
twenty to thi rty seconds to process the f i rst i mage, but once the f i rst i mage i s reconsti tuted the
others can run of f i n an ani mated seri es usi ng the same basi c pattern . Wewent f urther, though,
and f romthese f l ux- i mages wei magi ned f i l msequences i n whi chabstract ani mated i mages woul d
provoke di f f erent responses i n eachone of us. Eachspectator woul d bewatchi ng a di f f erent three-
di mensi onal f i l mthan hi s nei ghbor, f or eachwoul d have vi sual uncertai nti es ( f l uxes) of hi s own.
Raul Rui z , "I mages of Nowhere, " Poeti cs of Ci nema: 1 Mi scel l ani es, Pari s: Edi ti ons Di s Voi r, 1995,
38- 40.
TI ME. . . ondi t : Havi ngDecl ared aBel i ef i nGod
St anBrakhage
St anBrakhage
Drawi ngBy J oanMi ro
Havi ngdecl ared ab el i ef i nGod, and God' s presencei ncurrent humanaf f ai rs and ( however ob l i quel y)
humanconsci ousness, I t hi nk i t i s i ncumb ent ( i nt i mes l i ke t hese, t i mes of varyi ngst yl es- of - doub t )
t oat t empt t owri t e what I personal l y meanb y t he word "God. " I ' mnot heol ogi an, ob vi ousl y, nor
evenan accept ab l e "cracker- b arrel " phi l osopher. I t heori ze- and al most ent i rel y i n t he f i el d of
aest het i cs . Pri mari l y I wri t e t o exhaust l anguage ona gi ven sub j ect , t o dri ve t he mi nd b eyond
words, sot hat I canb egi n, and b egi nagai nandagai nwherewords- l eave- of f , veer t hei r ref erences
i nt o vi si on, each verb al connect i ve synapse, t o ef f ect t hat my mi nd' s eye havef ul l sway sot hat I
cancommencemy work: I amaf i l mmaker .
I havef ound, across years of phot ography and edi t i ng, t hat t heverb al canopeni nt o t hevi sual , l i ke
a swi ng gat e i n t he mi nd, or sprung door, reveal i ng pl et horas of i nexpl i cab l e and of t en ut t erl y
unexpect ed vi si t at i ons . I t i s my onl y excusef or t i t l i ng my f i l ms- t hat words canannounce L i ght ' s-
l i f e, as i t were, and prompt achaot i c di spl ay of i l l umi nat i on i nt oVi si on. . . andat t hesamet i me can
t ut or chaos i nt orhyt hmi c mi mi c of cat het i c t hought .
The t wi n aspect s of seei ng, ( 1 ) sheer recept i on of t he ent i re f i ery i l l umi nat i on of t he worl d, i t s
b ounce- l i ght , and ( 2 ) cat hexi s- of - such i nt o vi sual t hi nki ng, canb egui ded ( i n i mi t at i on of l anguage
perhaps) t o co- exi st at onceand one, l i ke t heyes/ noor t hen/ now of unconsci ous process . I t i s as
i f t hat t hat sparks t he meat - t ongue and heaves t he di aphragmi nt o suchshapi ngs of ai r as wecal l
"speech" canal socat hect , haunt , i nvest l i ght waves, sparkl ed opt i cs and t he el ect ri ci t y of t hought
i nt omemorab l ecoherency wi t hout any l oss of one' s senseof chaos ( i . e. chaos : "ast at e of t hi ngs i n
whi chchance i s supreme, " as Web st er' s has i t ) .
"OhGod, " "Dear God, " and t he l i ke, as pl eas, ut t ered i ndesperat e nervous ext remi t y, are t he
si gni f i ers of i l l umi nat i onand envi si onment at one, except i nasmuchas t hewords st and shackl ed t o
wi sh. Theaest het i c of such prayer mi ght b est b e expressed "Oh/ God, " "OGod, " sof ort h.
How canGod b edef i ned b y our l anguage except as someul t i mat e compound Good. Perhaps i t
shoul d b ecompact ed t o "Gd, " t hat i t b egrunt of t he f l ut e- t hroat t rapped i nt he mout hof t he sayer
rat her t han soci al expressi on. . . ( f or as asayi ng, t hi s word may b e ut t ered easi l y i mmedi at el y af t er,
say, t he act of sl ayi ng ahel pl ess creat ure t o nopurpose; b ut as at ermt hrust t o t hearched roof of
t he mout hand curl ed upont het ongue, onewoul d supposei t must adhere, i nt he mi nd, t ob enevol ent
ki nshi p and Gracei nt he event ual i t y of t hought ) .
But as God canb eexperi enced as ecst asi s passi onat el y, t hen onemust f act or al l pai n pl ent i f ul l y
i nt o any equat i on. Thef evers of b ei ng Human, TheWrat hof God as experi ence of L i f e- on- Eart h,
i nvi gorat e any not i onof dei t y wi t hsucht remb l i ng of t hevocal cords and quakeof mi nd as canb e
heard i nb arest whi sper and f el t as sl i ght est t hought . Yet t hi s, t oo, must comet ob e knownas a
goodness- eveni f agai nst al l b ody' s sensi b i l i t y of wel l b ei ng.
How t o pi ct ure such? . . . except , say, cl assi cal l y, as ast asi s such as TheSphi nx, or b aroquel y, as
does Bach ( wi t h b ass quaver at - one wi t h t heme engenderi ng seemi ngl y i nf i ni t e vari at i ons) or
romant i cal l y, as "A sol i d movi ngt hrough an i nf erno" ( as poet Mi chael McCl ure has i t ) . Noneof
t hese t radi t i onal f ormul as achi eve a movi ngat - oneness . None permi t b ot hvi sual - chaos and
envi si oned- meani ngcoexi st ence( t hougheach, at b est , canb esensed as at t empt s at suchresol ve) .
Fear, as ani nward- l ooki ng condemnat i onof hi st ory' s t radi t i on- ri ddenf orms, ab ort s out l ook, creat es
props ( def ence) such as, f or pri me exampl e, "sub j ect mat t er. " I f t he ext ernal b e sub j ect t o one' s
sel f , and i f sel f b e, t hus, possessed b y onesel f , t henal l expl et i ve b ecomes such mut t eri ngas an
echo- chamb er mi ght b e sai d t o engender: t he vi sual corol l ary t o t hi s word- t rap woul d b e mi rror
ref l ect i ng mi rror' s i magery t o somesupposed i nf i ni t esi mal macrocosm. . . I see mysel f seei ngmysel f
i nf i ni t el y f romaf el t b ase- st ance i ndi mi ni shi ng , al b ei t sol i d seemi ng, vari at i ons whi ch, at si ght ' s
l i mi t , opt , nat ural l y, enough, t o b e i magi ned and t ob evari ab l y i magi nab l e. The i nverse of t hi s
i magi ned vari ab i l i t y of one' s di mi ni shed sel f , woul d most reasonab l y b ea macrocosmi n whi ch
one' s sel f - shapedi dn' t exi st at al l , coexi st ent wi t hani maged BEI NG, l arger and evenl arger, mul t i pl y
amorphous shape- shi f t i ng of onesel f : t hi s, t hen, i s t he cl assi cal l y b aroque romanceof sel f and God
whi chWest ern aest het i cs haveengendered.
L et medrawab i t of ani nvent ed gl yph. I t i s, t omeat l east , as i f adrawer ( pun uni nt ended b ut
cert ai nl y pert i nent ) i nt he "l ocked cab i net " of t he pagewereopened. These ( my crude copi es of
Fi l mNo. 1 b y Harry Smi t h, 1 946
Fi l mNo. 3 b y Harry Smi t h, 1 947- 49
Fi l mNo. 5 b y Harry Smi t h, 1 950
drawi ngs b y Mi r6) suggest an i nhab i t ab l e spacewherei nGod mi ght b e concei ved? . . . i nf erred?-
no! , "mi ght b e" ( as i f ut t ered) i s b et t er.
Why i s t hat ?
Drawi ng b y St anBrakhage
Oskar Fi schi nger wi t hMot i onPai nt i ngOri gi nal s, 1 949
Weare"i nGod' s hands" wesay, and somet i mes f eel an"I am" t hus . I t i s earl i est senseof cradl i ng
mot her b ei ngevoked. I t i s a sensat i on of i magi ned space, real l y- space as a prot ect i ve and
comf ort i ng t ouch, as a t remol o l engt h/ b readt hsurf ace- and- i nt eri or ent i re sel f emb odi ed. . . space
whi ch i s, as t ouch, as caress and reverb erat i ng cont ai nment , real i zed b y us as movement , an
i nf i ni t el y movi ngexperi ence ( of what i s ot herwi se knownonl y col dl y unt omob i l i t y) .
Theaxi omat i c corol l ary experi ence i s God- as- st i l l ness, t he ul t i mat e senseof dei t y as al l - pervasi ve
and encompassi ngpeaceand prot ect i veness ; b ut t hi s, t oo, i s af eel i ng of movement , of b ei ngso
muchat - one wi t h an i nt ri cacy of cosmi c rhyt hms, wi t hf el t radi ant part i cl e/ waves ( as Nei l s Bohr
woul d havei t ) i ncancel l at i onof chaos and st asi s at oneoncef orever.
God dreams a t ree, say; and t he t ree i s i n t he b rai n of a human, any/ al l humans- t hi s st ory a
t erri b l ef ab l et of ri ght enl i t t l e chi l dreni nt o sl eep. . . at ree enf ol ded wi t hi neachsl ept chi l d' s mi nd, so
t hat t he dreamof God and t he dreams of t he chi l dren are one. Thi s, each, t ree grows t oagreat
hei ght whi ch ( envi si oned as b ranches) i s/ ( are) i nt he st ars- 4hese hei ght s and b ranches b ecome
t hevery dreamt l i mb s whi chst rai ght way connect t he, now, dreamt st ars : however, t he f orms whi ch
t hese l i mb - l i nes del i neat e haven' t f i nal l y any sol i di t y separat ef romanever ext endi ng dream- web
of God' s dreamt t ree.
Thef orms must b e named b y The Ki ng( caught al so i n al l gauze of dream) or b y hi s sorcerers,
wi zards, poet s, what - not - know- al l s i n/ t o order, t hat t here b e a real i t y. . . aroyal way, or somet hi ng
t hat al l canagreeupon.
For avery l ongt i me, whi l e al l t he f orms and t hent he st ars wereb ei ng named, God' s dreamwas
t aken f or grant ed; b ut once t he mul t i t ude of eart hl y shapes and shape- shi f t i ng ani mal l i f e, had
come cl oser t o b ei ng ent i rel y named ( t he shapes of t he sky growi ng di mi n t hemsel ves) t he
rememb ranceof God' s dreamb egant o prompt al l dreamt hought ; and t he memory of t hat was t oo
t erri b l e f or shape- sent i ent men and woment o b ear : i t , t he dreamt Tree of God was b ecome
superf l uous t ot he nami ng game- was i nf act t erri f yi ngl y ant i t het i cal .
J ust as t he composer Ant on Bruckner coul d onl y ut t er t he word "Got t " i n whi spers, sot oo t he
reverent dreamer coul dn' t i magi neaword f or Godi nt he hushof dream. Somet hencursed b y way
of t hat t ermb y day and f orgot al l dreamb y ni ght .
At aI V( any- whi ch- way) t urns- MI RACL ES. . . or soi t seems t ot heawake- sl eepi ng/ sl eep- awakehuman
dreamer i n sei zure of waves, l i ght - waves, sound- waves, t he sel f - generat ed el ect ri cal waves of
t ouch, t he synapt i c waves of scent - t ast e or t ast e i mpi ngi ng on b rai n- mi racl es, ei t her as one i s
overwhel med b y sensat i onand/ or senses chaos. Thesi mpl est l ogi c posi t s order : t heb asest survi val
i nst i nct i s i nsi st ent t oappeal f or order, f or pri mal f orm: t he whol e nervous syst em' s const ant l y
j ost l ed cont i nui t i es and part i cul ari t i es of t hought prompt t hought ' s ul t i mat um- ordered f orm( t odegree
of agnost i c, at hei st i c negat i on/ posi t i vi st i c BEL I EF) i n"cryst al cl ear, " l i kewesay- - gi vi ngt hat "cl ust er"
of , t hen, cent ered i deat he word "God": gender, generat ri x, generat or, evermore.
I t i s not , of course, as si mpl e as t hat , nor nearl y socompl ex ei t her. You cannot say, "I f t herewere
noGod onewoul d havet o b e i nvent ed, " b ecauset he ab sol ut e necessi t y f or concept of "God" i s, i n
i t sel f , suf f i ci ent i nf erencef or t heexi st ence of adei t y. I t i s t he l anguage whi chcompl exl y si gni f i es .
Thef el t - need- f or pervades eachpersonal and al l hi st ori cal Human.
"Wi t h agreat desi re I havedesi red t ocomet oyou and rest wi t hyou i n t he marri age of Heaven,
runni ngt oyou b y anewpat has t hecl ouds course i nt hepurest ai r l i kesapphi re" : Ab b ess Hi l degard
vonBi ngen( d. 1 1 70) , poet , pl aywri t e( supposedcreat or of "t hemoral i t y pl ay") and wondrous musi cal
composer. . . mysel f wi shi ng I coul d end t hi s wri t wi t honeof her b eaut i f ul hymns- t hei nt erval s b et ween
her sung t ones, t he t ext ures of her words, an audi o equal t o Mi ro' s spaci al l y charged doodl i ng
exhi b i t ed earl i er i nt hi s ( ot herwi sef aul t y) scri pt .
St anBrakhage, "TI ME. . . ondi t : Havi ng Decl ared a Bel i ef i nGod, " Musi cworks, No. 63, Fal l 1 995,
45- 46.
Hi I l a Rebayandt heGuggenhei mNexus
Ceci l eSt arr
J ordanBel son, Musi c of t he Spheres, 1977
Hi l l a Rebay, Al sace- born art i st anddaught er of GermanBaronvonEhrenwi esen, camet o Ameri ca
i n 1927 andwi t hi na f ewyears hadpai nt edt heport rai t of mi ni ngmi l l i onai reSol omonR. Guggenhei m,
convi ncedhi mt o col l ect " non- obj ect i ve" pai nt i ngs andst art edpl ans f or t he NewYork Museumt hat
nowbears hi s name. Her rol ei npromot i ngearl yabst ract f i l ms i nt hi s count ry, t houghpal t rycompared
t o t he work shedi d onbehal f of Kandi nsky, Chagal l andKl ee, deserves at l east passi ngrecogni t i on
i n t he hi st ory of Ameri can avant - gardef i l m. That rol e i s t oo of t en obscured by gossi p, ri di cul e and
scorn. Was she Guggenhei m' s mi st ress? I surel y don' t know. Many women have been t he
mi st resses of mi l l i onai res but l ef t no si gni f i cant i mpri nt on t he worl d of art . Was she prone t o
out rageous at t acks of cri t i ci smandrage? I t appears so. Dwi nel l Grant , who workedas Rebay' s
assi st ant f or about a year ( 1941- 42) , of t en sai d t hat he l ef t t he j ob t o avoi d havi ng a nervous
breakdown. Lasz l o Mohol y- Nagy, oneof her l i f el ongf ri ends, remai ned undet erred byher out burst s
andevenl earnedhowt o cal mher. Manyart curat ors havehadwi l dl y unevenpersonal i t i es; Rebay
was t he f i rst i n t hi s count ry t o show a passi onat e i nt erest i n abst ract art and t o i ncl ude f i l mas a
seri ous, i nt egral part of a maj or museum.
As earl y as 1930, Rebayhadst at edher i nt ent i on t o showabst ract mot i on pi ct ures i n her proposed
museum. She pref erred t he t erm" non- obj ect i ve, " her own t ransl at i on of t he German word
gegenst andl os, whi ch Kandi nsky had used as earl y as 1911 . Such an, she f el t , hada spi ri t ual
ori gi n, whet her basedongeomet ri cal or f reel y- i nvent edf orms. Whent he Gal l eryof Non- Obj ect i ve
Pai nt i ng opened i n 1939 on East 54t h St reet ( ori gi nal l y i t was t o havebeencal l ed t he ' Templ eof
Non- Obj ect i vi t y" ) , shepl annedt o est abl i sh a f i l mcent er t here. Frank Ll oyd Wri ght ' s pl ans f or t he
now- f amousFi f t h Avenuemuseumi ncl uded a basement f l oor devot edent i rel yt o a Fi l mCent er and
Li ght I nst i t ut ewhi chwast o cont ai n anarchi veof pi oneeri ngnon- obj ect i vef i l ms anda st udi o where
cont emporaryf i l mart i st s coul dhavef reeaccess t o equi pment t o makef i l ms. ' ( I t wasal sot o cont ai n
a cont i nui ng aut omat i c show of Charl es R. Dockum' s Mobi l e Col or proj ect i ons, t he engi neer-
i nvent or' s ori gi nal syst emof cont rol l ed, repeat abl ecomposi t i ons i n col ored l i ght . )
Threei mport ant f i l mmakers pl ayedmaj or rol es i n Rebay' s pl ans f or t he proposedf i l mcent er: Hans
Ri cht er, Oskar Fi schi nger andNormanMcLaren. Li keRebayhersel f , al l t hreehadbegunsuccessf ul
careers i n Europebef ore comi ngt o t he Uni t ed St at es. Perhaps al l t hree f el t as shedi dwhenshe
f i rst arri ved here: " I amt oo modernf or t hi s count ry. "
Rebay' s associ at i on wi t h Hans Ri cht er begani n 1913, whenher f i rst pai nt i ngst udi o t urned out t o
benext t o hi s. Bot hweret hen port rai t pai nt ers; t hei r earl y drawi ngs of oneanot her are nowi n t he
RebayCol l ect i on of t he Guggenhei mMuseum. " Ri cht er pai nt s great t hi ngs, " shedecl ared at t he
t i me, andwhenhewasdraf t ed as a cannoneer i n 1915, Rebaywrot e her f at her aski ngf or hel p i n
get t i ng Ri cht er t ransf erred t o a l ess dangerous assi gnment . WhenRi cht er wasseverel ywounded,
t heni nval i ded out of t he Germanarmy, shewrot e agai n wi t h someconcern: " . . . t he poor f el l ow. . .
does not have l ong t o l i ve. " 2
I ndependent l y, Rebayand Ri cht er becameconvert s t o abst ract art i n 1916, andi n J anuary 19173
Rebaywrot e t o her brot her : " Weare nowt he i nnovat i ve ones of ani mport ant peri od. Myf ri endArp
i s probabl y t hebest , andRi cht er i s al so oneof t hem- wonderf ul art i st s. " Ri cht er i nt roduced Rebay
t o Eggel i ng i n Berl i n, andshewas amongt hef i rst t o seet hei r semi nal abst ract f i l ms. Ri cht er and
Rebayl ost t ouch wi t h each ot her unt i l 1939, whenshehel pedhi ml eave Swi t z erl and ( he' d become
a ref ugee) , by i nvi t i ng hi mt o l ect ure at t heNewYork Museumshet hen headed. For t hemuseum' s
f i l mcol l ect i onshepurchasedf romhi mhi s Rhyt hm21 ( 1924) andEggel i ng' s Di agonal Symphony
( 1924- 25) . Wi t hi n a year or so, Ri cht er hadbecomedi rect or of t he newl yf ounded Fi l mI nst i t ut e at
NewYork' s Ci t y col l ege, whereheremai nedf or 15 years. Thef i l ms hemadei n t heUni t ed St at es
weref i nanced i n part by PeggyGuggenhei m, Sol omon' s ni ece, who al so hada modernart gal l ery
andcol l ect i on, nowadmi ni st ered byt he Guggenhei mMuseum.
Oskar Fi schi nger hadcomet o t he U. S. i n 1936, part l y t o get awayf romNaz i Germany( whi ch had
out l awedabst ract art ) andpart l yt o cont i nue hi s f i l mmaki ngwork wi t hi nt heHol l ywoodi ndust ry. Hi s
ef f ort s t o f i t i nt o t he rout i ni z ed product i on syst ems at Paramount , MGMandt he Di sney St udi o
ended i n Fi schi nger' s wi t hdrawal i n each case. Hi l l a Rebay, who consi dered hi mt he best of al l
abst ract f i l mmakers, brought hi mt o NewYork i n 1938 t o makerecommendat i ons f or t he pl anned
f i l mcent er. Headvi sedamongot her t hi ngs, a hal f - spheri cal audi t ori um, " l i ke a pl anet ari um, " whi ch
woul dproduce" a cosmi c f eel i ng of endl ess spacewi t hout perspect i ve" ( Theaudi t ori umt hat was
l at er bui l t i n t he Frank Ll oyd Wri ght museumbore a st ri ki ng resembl ance t o Fi schi nger' s
recommendat i on. )
By 1940 Rebay hadpurchasedt en Fi schi nger f i l ms f or t he museum' s col l ect i on, and hadshown
t hemat t he occasi onal " f i l mconcert s" hel d peri odi cal l y at t he museum. I n ret urn f or hi s gi f t of a
pri nt of An Opt i cal Poem, Rebaysent hi ma check f or $250. But whenhewant edbacki ngf or a
100- mi nut e abst ract f i l mt hat woul dcost bet ween $100, 000 and$200, 000, t hat sort of l argesse
7
Hi l l a Rebay, 1944
was out of t he quest i on. As Rebay expl ai ned l at er i n her correspondence wi t h J ohn Whi t ney,
Sol omonGuggenhei mwas not i nt erest ed i nf i l mas anart f orm; t hesmal l sums t hat shemanaged
t o sendf i l mmakers i n t he f ormof st i pends, grant s andpri nt purchases wereabout as f ar as she
coul d st ret ch her personal prerogat i ves.
Norman McLaren, who had st art ed hi s f i l mcareer as a young Scot sman worki ng i n Engl and f or
J ohnGri erson' s government al document ary uni t , camet o t he U. S. as a paci f i st at t he begi nni ng of
Worl dWar I I . Hi s t wo years i n NewYork Ci t y mi ght havebeenbl eak i ndeed, had henot met Hi l l a
Rebayat t he 54t h St reet gal l ery. When she i ndi cat ed t hat shewoul d gl adl y l ook at someof hi s
work, hequi ckl ycreat ed t wo short f i l ms j ust f or t hat purpose. ThesewereLoops andDot s ( 1940) ,
bot h of whi ch he made by drawi ng pi ct ures and sound di rect l y ont o 35mmf i l m. When Rebay
purchaseda pri nt of each andagreedt o showt hemi n an upcomi ngf i l mprogram, McLarenwent
homeandmadet hree more- St arsandSt ri pes, Boogi e- Doodl eandScherz o . ( Lat er t heywere
rel eased of f i ci al l y by t he Nat i onal Fi l mBoardof Canada, where McLarenhadaccept ed what he
cal l ed: " a perf ect l y marvel ous opport uni t y, " onceagai n worki ngf or J ohnGri erson. )
McLarenal so gavet echni cal andgeneral advi cef or t hemuseum' sf i rst f i l mshows, andevenset up
a f i re- proof , sound- proof proj ect i onboxi nt hegal l eryi t sel f - whi ch hef el t provi dedbet t er at mosphere
andsurroundi ngs t han a t heat er. Fi l ms byRi cht er, Eggel i ng, Fi schi nger andMcLaren hi msel f were
shownat t hese " Concert s of Non- Obj ect i vi t y. " I onceasked Dwi nel l Grant i f hi s f i l ms had been
shown, andhi s answer was no. He' dbeent hereonl yas t he proj ect i oni st . Mari e Menkenat t ended
t he programs t oo, as Rebay' s secret ary; at t he t i me shewas an abst ract pai nt er who hadn' t yet
vent ured i nt o f i l mmaki ng( and whenshedi d, her f i l mwork woul dbeas uncredi t ed camera operat or
i n 1943 f or Wi l l ard Maas' s semi - abst ract Geographyof t heBody) . Menkeni nt roduced her f ri end
Franci s Leet o Rebayononeoccasi on, andhewas l at er awardeda st i pendf or f i l mmaki ng. Smal l
grant s al so were gi ven t o J ohn andJ ames Whi t ney, Harry Smi t h andJ ordan Bel son i n t he mi d-
1940s.
" I hadgreat di f f i cul t y t o i nt roduce f i l mat al l , " Hi l l a Rebaywrot e t he youngJ ohnWhi t ney i n 1944,
addi ngt hat Mr. Guggenhei mwas i nt erest ed most l y i n pai nt i ngs. ( Readers shoul dkeep i n mi ndt hat
i n 1929, whenGuggenhei mhadagreedt o l et Rebaybuya col l ect i on of Kandi nskys andKl ees and
t he l i ke, hewast he pi t yandscorn of hi s weal t hyf ri ends. Theyt hought hewas t hrowi nghi s money
awayonwort hl ess geomet ry f romhat ef ul , t ast el ess Germany, at a t i me wheneveryt hi ngt hat was
i mport ant i n modemart hadt o comef romPari s. )
" I f I hadt he means, " Rebaycont i nued i n her 1944 l et t er t o J ohnWhi t ney, " I woul dmysel f hel p t he
ci nemat i c workers i n order t o makeart i st s out of t hemandput t hemont he map- andso, at l east
get t heworl d i nt erest ed. " SheurgedWhi t neyt o l ook at Fi schi nger' s f i l ms, t o l earn f ormandspace
rel at i onshi ps, t o avoi d decorat i ve pat t erns. " Thereal i ssue, " sheconcl uded, " i s t o t ouch t he soul . "
Fi ve years l at er Sol omon Guggenhei mdi ed, and Rebay was removed f romt he museum' s
di rect orshi p . Themuseum' sf i l mcol l ect i on of about t wo doz enf i l ms i n vari ous st ages of di srepai r
anddi si nt egrat i on was event ual l ydonat ed t o t he Li brary of Congress.
1 Most of t hei nf ormat i onabout Rebayci t edor quot edi n t hi s art i cl e i sdrawnf romJ oanM. Lukach' s bi ography,
Hi l l a Rebay, I n Search of t heSpi ri t i n Art ( GeorgeBraz i l l er, NewYork, 1983) , t o whi ch readers are ref erred f or
a f ul l account of t hi s remarkabl eandeni gmat i cwoman' s career. Lukach ci t es Harvard' s Carpent er Cent er f or
t heVi sual Art s as an exampl eonanexpanded scal eof howRebay' s f i l mcent er mi ght have devel oped.
2 However, Ri cht er survi ved unt i l 1978, whenhewas 88 years ol d.
3 Those concernedwi t h Rebay' s l at er personal i t y di f f i cul t i es maybei nt erest edi n knowi ngt hat f or a t en- year
peri odshesuf f eredonesevere i l l ness af t er anot her. I n 1917 shewas hospi t al i z ed wi t h " anat t ack of nerves"
af t er whi ch she had mi grai nes f or a decade or more. I n 1918 she t wi ce haddi pht heri a, a di sease whi ch
usual l y was f at al ; t hat sameyear her t onsi l s wereremoved, resul t i ng i n t hroat ai l ment s t hereaf t er. ( I n 1919
she shareda st udi o wi t h Rudol f Bauer, a pai nt er who becameher l over, ment or and t orment or, al l i n one. )
I n 1921, at age30, shewrot e: " I di dnot achi eveanyt hi ngbut i nf i ni t e l onel i ness andhopel essness. . .
t o beal ways so unl oved, so despi sedandhat ed, makes mesi ck at heart . " I n1925 i n I t al y, shewas hospi t al i z ed
f or t hreemont hs andat t empt edsui ci det wi ce. At about t hat t i me shewrot et o Bauer : " I have t oo much mme
not t o achi evesomet hi nggreat even i f I amonl ya st upi dwoman. I wi l l achi evesomet hi nganyway, pref erabl y
f or ot hers, but i f not , t hen f or mysel f . "
" I wi l l go t o Ameri ca, " she wrot ei n 1925.
" I must go t o Ameri ca. " she wrot e i n 1926 . " Everyonesays I shoul dgo t o Ameri ca. "
I nJ anuary1927, shemadeher f i rst t ri p t o newYork, readyt o begi nher mi ssi on.
MaryEl l en Bute
Ceci l e Starr
I n the mi d 1930s, Mary El l en Bute ( 1906- 1983) was the f i rst Ameri can to make abstract moti on
pi ctures, and i n the earl y 1950s al ong wi th Norman McLaren and HyHi rsh was among the f i rst to
expl ore el ectroni c i magery i n f i l m. Starti ng as a RosaBonheur- styl e pai nter i n Texas, she came
east at age 15 to study pai nti ng i n Phi l adel phi a ( where she f i rst sawKandi nsky' s work) ; l ater she
studi ed stage l i ghti ng at Yal e ( i n the f i rst cl ass to whi ch women were admi tted) ; made a round- the-
worl d dance and drama tour as a teacher- l ecturer ; worked wi th J oseph Schi l l i nger on hi s
mathemati cal proj ecti ons and wi th Leon Theremi n on hi s el ectroni c musi cal i nventi on. Her f i rst
attempt wi th abstract f i l mwas i n col l aborati on wi th J oseph Schi l l i nger and Lewi s J acobs on the
unf i ni shed Synchroni zati on i n 1932. Bute' s i ntroducti on to Ted Nemeth ( who became her husband
i n 1940) l ed to a partnershi p that produced 12 short musi cal " seei ng- sound" abstract f i l ms, several
commerci al TVventures, al i ve- acti on f eaturette, and af ul l - l ength f i l m versi on of J ames J oyce' s
Fi nnegans Wake.
Statement I
MaryEl l en Bute
I was apai nter i n Texas [ and] l i ved on aranch [ unti l myHouston art teacher] arranged f or aschol arshi p
f or me at the Pennsyl vani aAcademyof Fi ne Arts. That was awhol e newworl d f or me. Practi cal l y
al l of the arti cl es andj ournal s that had reached mypart of Texas were veryagai nst modern art . [ So]
when I went to Phi l adel phi a I was so deepl y i mpressed by the wonderf ul Pi cassos, the Af ri can art,
the [ Paul ] Kl ees, the Braques, the Kandi nskys . . . He [ Kandi nsky] used abstract, nonobj ecti ve el ements
so you coul d experi ence a canvas the wayyou experi ence amusi cal composi ti on. . . Wel l . I thought
i t was terri f i c. . . [ but] these thi ngs shoul d be unwound i n ti me conti nui ty. I t was a dance. That
became my[ obj ecti ve] . . . I came to NewYork and tri ed to f i nd the techni cal means . The most
devel oped thi ng at the ti me was stage l i ghti ng . I went to an art school where we di d manythi ngs
wi th l i ghti ng, but i t wasn' t adequate, an art medi umper se. Then, by af l uke, I got i nto Yal e. . . and
they had af abul ous swi tchboard, and of course I became one of i ts runners, reachi ng f or myki neti c
art f orm. FromYal e I got the j ob of taki ng dramaaround the worl d. . . and got to see, oh, the Noh
dramaof J apan, and the Taj Mahal i n I ndi a[ where gems surrounded the bui l di ng] . I l ooked i nto the
gems and saw ref l ected the Taj Mahal , and the l ake, and the whol e thi ng appeal ed to me
enormousl y. . . because i t was romanti c and because i t was a ki neti c, vi sual thi ng . I started
entertai ni ng mysel f by i magi ni ng these desi gns and patterns al l i n movement. Back i n NewYork I
rel ated al l of thi s to Thomas Wi l f red, who by that ti me had devel oped acol or organ. Thi s was i n
1929 . . . Then I heard about Leon Theremi n. . . and apprenti ced mysel f to hi s [ sound] studi o to l earn
more about composi ti on. He became i nterested i n mydetermi nati on to devel op a ki neti c vi sual art
f orm, [ and hel ped me wi th experi ments] . Wesubmerged ti ny mi rrors i n tubes of oi l , connected to
an osci l l ator, and drewwhere these poi nts of l i ght weref l yi ng . The ef f ect was thri l l i ng f or us- i t was
so pure. But i t wasn' t enough. Fi nal l y we got a Bol ex camera, and started anal yzi ng, to make my
f i rst f i l m, Rhythmi n Li ght ( 1934) . I t was mostl y three- di mensi onal ani mati on. Pyrami ds, and pi ng
pong bal l s, and al l i nterrel ated by l i ght patterns- , and I wasn' t happyunl ess i t al l entered and exi ted
exactl y as I had pl anned.
Mary El l en Bute, f roma tal k gi ven at the Chi cago Art I nsti tute, May7 , 197 6
Mary El l en Bute and Ted Nemeth i n thei r studi o, c. 1935
Dwi nel I Grant
Ceci l e Starr
Dwi nel l Grant ( 1912- 91) came to abstract f i l mmaki ng through pai nti ng, anthropol o y, Gestal t
psychol ogy and theatri cal stage l i ghti ng . Af ter l i vi ng i n the mi dwest f or nearl y30 years, rant came
east to NewYork where he workedf or one year ( 1941- 42) as assi stant to the di rector of the Sol omon
R. Guggenhei mFoundati on of Non- Obj ecti ve An ( nowthe Guggenhei mMuseum) . The body of hi s
i ndependent f i l mwork, made between 1941 and 1949, remai ned vi rtual l y unseen by the publ i cunti l
he was " di scovered" byAnthol ogy Fi l mArchi ves, worki ng as ascri pt wri ter and di rector of medi cal
and sci enti f i cf i l ms . I n 1986 Grant made hi s l ast f i l m, DreamFantasi es, combi ni ng abstract i magery
and sti l l photographs of f emal e nudes wi th hi s own el ectroni c musi cal soundtrack.
Statement
Dwi nel l Grant
I n 1937 , I was 25 years ol d, di d not yet own acamera, and had not begun to thi nk about f i l ms . That
al l began a coupl e of years l ater.
However, i n 1941- 42, I di d make a seri es of tests and abstract ani mati on experi ments, most of
whi ch were never used i n the l ater f i l ms . ( I don' t knowwhy. ) Thi s stuf f i s nowtogether i n a pi ece
about 7 mi nutes l ong [ Abstract Experi ments] . . .
There i s, i ncl uded i n thi s non- composi ti on, ashort bi t of me standi ng i n f ront of awork bench. I l ook
very much embarrassed, and i t al ways gets a l augh f romthe audi ence. . .
I have never understood whyAnthol ogy [ Fi l mArchi ves) make such a thi ng out of techni cal tests .
Anymore than I can understood whythey i nsi sted on maki ng that purel yexpl oratory seri es of col or
changes i nto " Col or Sequence. " I was j ust tryi ng to l earn somethi ng i n both cases- not tryi ng to be
creati ve. Fi l man i s di f f erent f rompai nti ng . The f i l marti st can i magi ne unti l hi s brai n i s numb, but
he doesn' t real l y knowhowsomethi ng wi l l l ook unti l i ts on ascreen. You' d be surpri sed howmuch
ti me and thought have gone i nto f i l mtesti ng of i deas f or the l atest composi ti on.
Dwi nel l Grant, Letter to Ceci l e Starr, J anuary 28, 1984
Statement 11
MaryEl l en Bute
The Absol ute Fi l m i s not a newsubj ect. I t i s concerned wi th an art whi ch has had as l ogi cal a
devel opment as other arts, perhaps sl owl y but natural l y.
Thi s art i s the i nterrel ati on of l i ght, f orm, movement, and sound- combi ned and proj ectedto sti mul ate
an aestheti c i dea. I t i s unassoci ated wi th i deas of rel i gi on, l i terature, ethi cs or decorati on. Here
l i ght, f orm, and sound are i n dynami c bal ance wi th ki neti c space rel ati ons .
The Absol ute Fi l maddresses the eye and the ear. Other moti on pi ctures, al though maki ng use of
sensati ons of si ght and sound, address not the eye and the ear but the i ntel l ect . For exampl e, i n
real i sti c f i l ms, the medi umi s subordi nate to story, symbol or representati on . Wevi ewan Absol ute
Fi l mas a sti mul ant by i ts own i nherent powers of sensati on, wi thout the encumbrance of l i terary
meani ng, photographi c i mi tati on, or symbol i sm. Our enj oyment of an Absol ute Fi l mdepends sol el y
on the ef f ect i t produces : whereas, i n vi ewi ng areal i sti c f i l m, the resul tant sensati on i s based on the
mental i mage evoked.
Ci nematographers, pai nters and musi ci ans f i nd acommonenthusi asmi n the absol ute f i l m. Through
usi ng the moti on pi cture camera creati vel y, cameramen f i nd aseemi ngl y endl ess source of new
possi bi l i ti es and means of expressi on undreamed of whi l e the camerawas conf i ned to use merel y
as a recordi ng devi ce. But we must turn back to pai nters and musi ci ans to f i nd the i deas whi ch
probabl y moti vated the Absol ute Fi l mi nto a state of bei ng .
Work i n the f i el d of the Absol ute Fi l mi s accel erati ng both here and abroad. The f oundati ons f or i t
were l ai d years ago, and i t was more recentl yanti ci pated by Cezanne and hi s f ol l owers wi th whom
we have an abstract art of pai nti ng taki ng f orm. Cezanne used the rel ati onshi ps between col or and
f orm, di scardi ng the f ormer mi xture of l ocal i zed l i ght and shade by stressi ng rel ati onshi p, he l i f ted
col or f romi mi tati ng obj ecti ve nature to produci ng a vi sual sensati on i n i tsel f . Hi s pai nti ngs of sti l l
l i f es : appl es and tabl ecl oth, are not concei ved i n a spi ri t of obj ecti ve representati on ; they are
organi zed groups of f orms havi ng rel ati onshi ps, bal anced proporti ons and vi sual associ ati ons . Hi s
use of col or on a stati c surf ace reaches apoi nt where the next step demanded an i ntroducti on of
ti me sequence and a ri cher textural range.
The Cubi sts tri ed to produce on a stati c surf ace asensati on to the eye, anal ogous to the sensati on
of sound to the ear. That i s, bythe devi ce of presenti ng si mul taneousl y wi thi n the same vi sual f i el d
the combi ned aspects of the same obj ect vi ews f rommanydi f f erent angl es or at di f f erent i nterval s .
They tri ed to organi ze f orms di stantl y rel ated to f ami l i ar obj ects to convey subj ecti ve emoti ons
aroused by the contempl ati on of an obj ecti ve worl d.
The el ement of musi c appears i n the pai nti ngs of Kandi nsky. He pai nted abstract composi ti ons
based on an arbi trary chromati cscal e of the senses .
The word col or appears of ten i n the wri ti ng of Wagner. I n the " Remi ni s of Amber" ( 187 1) he wri tes :
" Amber made hi s musi c reproduce each contrast, every bl end i n contours and col or- we mi ght
al most f ancy we had actual musi c pai nti ngs . "
There i s si mpl yno end to the exampl es whi ch we mi ght ci te. Some musi ci ans have gone on record
as havi ng col or associ ati ons wi th speci f i c i nstruments .
These experi ments by both musi ci ans and pai nters, men of wi de experi ence wi th thei r pri maryart
materi al , have pushed thi s means of combi ni ng the two medi ums up i nto our consci ousness . Thi s
newmedi umof expressi on i s the Absol ute Fi l m. Here the arti st creates a worl d of col or, f orm,
movement, and sound i n whi ch the el ements are i n astate of control l abl e f l ux, the two materi al s
( vi sual and aural ) bei ng subj ect to any concei vabl e i nterrel ati on and modi f i cati on.
Mary El l en Bute, " Li ght " Form" Movement - Sound, " Desi gn, NewYork, c. 1935
Dwi nel l Grant, c. 1980: Robert Hal l er
Poem
The paper,
the canvas,
the f i l mf rame,
the ti me sequence
are al l
organi zi ng
and
the
vari etydepends onl y on the experi ence and i magi nati on of the
There i s no need to repeat .
There i s no need to devel op af ormul a.
Dwi nel l Grant, Spi ral , No . 9, October, 1986, Pasadena, back cover
Composi ti on No. 3 by Dwi nel l Grant
The possi bi l i ti es
f or
wi thi n
these f i el ds
are
f orms,
col ors
and movements
f i el ds
wi th al most unl i mi ted potenti al s .
endl ess,
arti st .
Oskar Fi schi nger
Wi l l i amMori tz
Oskar Fi schi nger ( 1900- 67) must count asoneof thegreatest arti stsof thi scentury, yet theupheaval s
of that very century conspi red to bl i ght hi s arti sti c career at every turn. Nonethel ess, hi sf i l msand
pai nti ngs havel ongenj oyed the status of cul t i cons, i nf l uenci ng awhol egenerati onof Cal i f orni a
arti sts, and conti nui nganonymousl y toserveasmodel f or computer graphi csand MTVvi deo- cl i ps.
Fi nal l y, i n the cl osi ng years of the century, he begi ns to reachawi der popul ar accl ai m: a recent
retrospecti ve at the German Fi l mMuseumi n Frankf urt proved the most popul ar exhi bi ti on i n i ts
hi story, had to beextended several ti mes, and i s schedul ed totravel to other Europeanci ti es.
Socharmi ngand bri l l i ant are the col or f i l ms, and sosereneand l ovel y many of the pai nti ngs, one
canonl y regret that thei r creator di ed i n rel ati veobscuri ty i n 1967. Had henot beenharassed and
di spl aced by Europeanpol i ti cs, had hebeenabl eto communi catebetter i n Ameri ca, perhaps hi s
output woul d havedoubl ed and reached awi der popul ar audi enceduri ng hi s l i f eti me. I n any case,
as the century comesto acl ose, wecan seethat Vi sual Musi c wasreal l y the newartf ormof thi s
era, and Oskar Fi schi nger wasi ts Ol d Master.
Oskar Fi schi nger i nAmeri ca
Wi l l i amMori tz
Betweenthe ti meOskar si gned hi sParamount contract and hi s arri val at the studi os i n Hol l ywood
( 1936) , Ernst Lubi tschwi thdrewf romthepost of Producti onManager, sohi s pl ansf or Oskar never
materi al i zed . Oskar wasassi gned to create anani mated epi sodef or af eature Bi gBroadcast of
1937, oneof aseri esof thi n- pl otted anthol ogy f i l ms desi gned to showradi o cel ebri ti esonscreen.
Oskar, not yet speaki ngEngl i sh, wasthri l l ed by the support resources of the Paramount Studi os:
the possi bi l i ty of l ayeri ngeel sand usi ngi nkersand pai nterstof i l l i n hi sdesi gns, whi chcoul d mean
greater i ntri cacy and compl exi ty. He desi gned anexqui si te three- mi nute abstract ani mati on to a
symphoni c j azz composi ti on cal l ed " Radi o Dynami cs" by studi o composer Ral ph Rai nger. Onl y
whenOskar requi si ti oned col or f i l mto shoot ondi d hef i nal l y real i ze that thestudi owanted onl y a
bl ack- and- whi tef i l m- and pref erabl y onei ncorporati ngsome" speci al ef f ects" l i kewal ki ngci garettes!
Af ter amonthof arguments ( i ncl udi ngabl ack- and- whi tepri nt of Oskar' s abstract ani mati on, whi ch
l ooked muddy and conf used, wi th al l the darkhues, red or green, mel ti ng i nto the samebl ack) ,
Oskar' s Paramount contract wastermi nated af ter onl y 6 months. Oskar' s ani mati on di d not appear
i n the f eature.
Oskar went suddenl y f romaregal $1, 000 per monthsal ary tonoj ob, noi ncomeat al l - adangerous
si tuati on si nce he ri sked bei ngdeported backto Nazi Germany i f he coul d not support hi msel f .
Other Germanemi grants, agent Paul Kohnerand di rector Wi l l i amDi etede, hel ped arrangeacontract
f or hi mtoproduce acol or ani mated short f or MGM, AnOpti cal Poem, whi chheworked onduri ng
1937 and MGMrel eased i ntheatersduri ng1938 and 1939. For AnOpti cal PoemOskar bui l t aset
near the MGMl ot, and suspended hundredsof geometri c paper cut- outs by i nvi si bl e f i shi ng l i ne
f romascaf f ol di ng; f or eachmovement, thecut- outs had to bemoved sl i ghtl y, thensteadi ed wi tha
chi ckenf eather onthe end of abroomsti ck. TheyoungJ ohn Cageworked wi thOskar f or af ew
daysasthe manwhomoved and steadi ed; whi l e J ohnstruggl ed wi th hi staskand Oskar wai ted to
maketheexposure, Oskar tol d J ohnabout hi s Ornament Sound experi mentsand hi s Buddhi st-
i nspi red noti on that al l obj ects contai ned asound that merel y needed to berel eased- whi ch J ohn
credi ts as havi ng set hi monthe pathtoward hi s l ater " NewMusi c" of noi ses and si l ence.
WhenAnOpti cal Poemwasf i ni shed, Oskar travel ed toNewYorkf orsomeshowsof hi soi l pai nti ngs,
and to seekacommi ssi on f or anhour- l ong ani mati on of Dvorak' s NewWorl d Symphony to be
shown at the Worl ds Fai r ( but unf ortunatel y no f undi ngcamethrough) . He met there Baroness
Hi l l aRebay vonEhrenwi esen, thetemperamental curatorof the Guggenhei mFoundati onand f ounder
of the Museumof Non- Obj ecti ve Pai nti ng ( whi chwoul d l ater bere- named Guggenhei mMuseum) ,
whowoul d subsequentl y of f er hi mvari ousgrantsf romthef oundati onand exhi bi t someof hi spai nti ngs
at the museum. But i nthe meanti me, Oskar wassummoned backto Hol l ywood November 1938 to
workf or Wal t Di sney onhi s f eature- l ength concert f eature Fantasi a.
Oskar had met Leopol d Stokowski al ready i n Berl i n, and agai nat Paramount ( Stokowski al so had
asequencei n Bi gBroadcast of 1937) . Oskar had l ongcheri shed the i deaof maki ng af eature-
l engthabstract concert f i l m, and had di scussed the i deawi thStokowski . Howdi sappoi nted Oskar
wasto f i nd hi msel f hi red by Di sney as an ani mator f or one sequenceat a modest sal ary, whi l e
Stokowski wasstarri ngand l i sted as Di sney' s col l aborator. Oskar f el t depressed at bei ngbetrayed
( whether i t wastrue or not) , and hi s f al teri ng Engl i sh made hi man obj ect of f un at the Di sney
Studi o, whi chmade hi s dai l y workangui sh. Furthermore, i t soon becamecl ear that, despi te the
f act that Oskar' s f i l ms wereregul arl y screened f or the enti re staf f duri ng l unchhour f or i nspi rati on,
Oskar' sownabstract desi gns wereal l al tered by commi ttees: desi gns si mpl i f i ed, col orschanged,
wi thvari ous representati onal detai l s i nserted i n every scenesothat i t " l ooked l i ke somethi ng. "
Despi te hi s unpl easant experi ences at Di sney, Oskar conti nued to work there because hewas
desperatef or the money, but whenGermany i nvaded Pol and i n September 1939 and Worl d War I I
Al l egrettoby Oskar Fi schi nger, 1936143 : Museumof the ModernArt
began, other studi o personnel pai nted aswasti kaonthe door of Oskar' sroom, and Oskar asked to
berel eased f romhi s contract.
Oskarwasagai nwi thout meansof support, but f ortunatel y theBaronessRebay arranged toadvance
hi mmoney tomakeapatri oti c f i l mbased onSousa' s " Starsand Stri pes Forever" march, whi chshe
hoped woul d bea f i nanci al success asashort i n theaters- - as wel l as provi ngthat Oskar ( and
hersel f ) , al thoughof Germanextracti on, wereenthusi asti cal l y Ameri cannow. Onceagai n, however,
Oskar encountered probl ems wi thmusi c ri ghts, whi chwerenot cl eared f or several years, duri ng
whi chti mehecoul d not screen the f i l mcommerci al l y .
Baroness Rebay subsequentl y gaveOskar agrant to buy the ri ghts to hi s Paramount sequence
" Radi o Dynami cs, " and shoot i t i n col or, but shedi sl i ked theti tl e, soOskar renamed i t Al l egretto.
Meanwhi l e, OrsonWel l es hi red Oskar toworkonanewproj ect of hi s, I t' sAl l True, whi chwasto be
an anthol ogy f i l mwi th short epi sodes about J azz. WhenThe Uni ted States entered the War i n
1941, Oskar becamean" enemy al i en" and coul d not l egal l y beempl oyed i n the medi a, but Wel l es
conti nued to pay Oskar secretl y f or ni nemonths. Si ncetheexact natureof Oskar' s assi gnment f or
Wel l es was not yet establ i shed ( af ter the war began, the f ocus of the f eature changed to Lati n
Ameri canmusi c) , Wel l esl et Oskar pai nt eel s f or Al l egrettoand workonasecond f i l m, i ntenti onal l y
si l ent, that used the ol d Radi oDynami csti tl e. Whenthef ul l - col or Al l egrettopremi ered February
1943, i t wascl ear to everyone, i ncl udi ng the Baroness, that i t wasamasterpi ece, the subtl e col or
gradati onsand mul ti pl el ayersof i magery correspondi ngwi thuncanny exactnesstothel i vel y musi c.
WhenOrsonWel l es' producti onuni t wasdi sconti nued i n 1942, Hi l l aRebay agai nof f ered Oskar a
grant, thi sti metoprepareanani mated f i l msynchroni zed to Bach' s" Brandenburg ConcertoNo. 3. "
Theamount of money that- Rebay of f ered as asti pend, however, wasnot real l y enoughto f und a
compl ex eel ani mati on l i ke Al l egretto but, at 10 mi nutes, more thanthree ti mes asl ong. Oskar
f i ni shed Radi o Dynami cs, whi ch equal s Al l egretto i n i ntri cacy and styl e, but was meant asa
medi tati onal mandal a, and, asasi l ent f i l m, wasrarel y shown, never commerci al l y . Af ter several
attempts to f i nd aneconomi cal ani mati on techni que that woul d make the Bach musi c practi cal ,
Oskar f i nal l y hi t uponthei deaof f i l mi ng hi msel f pai nti ng, shooti ngonei mageeachti mehemadea
brushstroke. Heworked on Moti onPai nti ngf or ni ne months, wi thout bei ngabl e toseehowthe
f i l mwasturni ng out- but, havi ngmademi l l i onsof drawi ngsf or ani mati on f i l ms and hundredsof oi l
pai nti ngs, hef el t conf i dent, j ust as conf i dentl y as hecoul d drawexact strai ght l i nes and perf ect
ci rcl es f ree- hand. Whenthe f i l mwasf i ni shed i n 1947, and rel eased the f ol l owi ng year, Abstract
Expressi oni smwasj ust comi ng to promi nence i n the press, wi th speci al emphasi s onJ ackson
Pol l ock' s pouri ngand dri ppi ngof pai nt. Oskar qui pped that hef el t sorry f or someonesodi sturbed
that they had to tossand spi l l at randomto expressthemsel ves- Oskar wassoat peacethat hi s
stream- of - consci ousness perf ect bal anceof f ree- hand geometri cal f i gures expressed hi m.
Moti onPai nti ngwonthe Grand Pri ze at the Brussel s I nternati onal Experi mental Fi l mFesti val i n
1949, but Rebay despi sed thef i l m( shereal l y had wanted al ong f i l ml i ke Al l egretto) , and ref used
togi ve Oskar any f urther grants. Moti onPai nti ngwoul d behi sl ast f i l m, al thoughhel i ved 20 years
af ter i t wasf i ni shed . Henever agai n recei ved agrant f romany source, al thoughheappl i ed . He
prepared proposal s f or astereoscopi cf i l mduri ng the 3- D crazeof theearl y 1950s, and addi ti onal
" Moti onPai nti ng" f i l ms. Hemadeaf ewadverti si ngf i l ms. Hei nvented ani nstrument, theLumi graph,
whi chal l owssomeonetocreate col ored l i ght patternswi thhandsor obj ects i n real ti me, but hewas
not abl e to l i cense i t f or producti onor di stri buti on. Hepai nted many morecanvases, and sol d them
throughgal l eri es; somenowhangi nthe Nati onal Gal l ery i n Washi ngtonD. C . , and other museums
i n Ameri caand Europe. Heal soenj oyed aqui et cul t cel ebri ty duri ng the 1940sand 1950s: young
arti sts whosaw hi s f i l ms ( especi al l y at the Art i n Ci nemaf esti val i n 1946 at the San Franci sco
Museumof Art) werei nspi red to takeup abstract f i l mmaki ng, sothat awhol e" school " of Cal i f orni a
Col or Musi c arti sts, i ncl udi ng J amesWhi tney, J ordanBel son, Harry Smi thand Hy Hi rsh, f l ouri shed .
Wi l l i amMori tz, Excerpted f rom" Oskar Fi schi nger: Arti st of the Century" wi th permi ssi on of the
author, 1994.
Oskar Fi schi nger
Harry Smi th
You cantel l howmuchI admi reFi schi nger: the onl y f i l mof mi nethat I ever gaveareal ti tl etowas
HomagetoOskar Fi schi nger ( Fi l mNo. 5, i nthecurrent schemeof thi ngs) . I l earned concentrati on
f romhi m- vi si ti ng hi shomeand seei nghowhecoul d si t serenel y i nthat smal l house, crawl i ng wi th
what seemed l i keadozenchi l dren, and sti l l pai nt thosestunni ngpi ctures. That great f i l mMoti on
Pai nti ng makes the processseemdecepti vel y si mpl e- and i t wassi mpl e f or hi m: the i mages
real l y di d j ust f l ow f romhi s brush, never arul er or acompass, al l - f reehand- but you can' t seeal l
the obstacl es hehad toovercomei norder to evenworkat al l . Somethi ngsowonderf ul happened
i n that f i l m, and i n thosepai nti ngs, somethi ngsomuch better thanal l the Pol l ocks and other stuf f
that the museumsf i ght toget hol d of . Di d anyoneever f i ght to save Fi schi nger' s thi ngs?
Harry Smi th, f romani ntervi ewwi thWi l l i amMori tz
AnOpti cal Poemby Oskar Fi schi nger, 1937 : Fi schi nger Archi ves
J amesDavi s
Robert Hal l er
J amesDavi s ( 1901- 74) wasan arti st whosef i l ms of l i g ht ref l ec ti ons i n the1950s and 1960swerea
uni quearti c ul ati on of abstrac t i mag es of energ y . Not unti l the1970s di d c omparabl ei mag ery ag ai n
appear on moti on pi c ture sc reens. Meanwhi l e Davi s was an i nspi rati on to Stan Brakhag ewho
madeoneof hi s i mportant f i l ms, TheText of Li g ht ( 1974) , i n Davi s' honor.
Davi s was born to a di sti ng ui shed West Vi rg i ni a f ami l y ( one c ousi n, J ohn, woul d be Democ rati c
c andi datef or Presi dent; hel ater- rel uc tantl y- madethel osi ng arg ument bef oretheSupremeCourt
i n the 1954 deseg reg ati on c ase " Brown vs. the Board of Educ ati on" ) . Davi s studi ed pai nti ng at
Pri nc eton and i n Franc e, bec ameapai nter wi th what c oul d bec al l ed Cubi st and Ameri c an
i mpressi oni st phases. I n the 1930s and earl y 40s hebeg an worki ng wi th anewmateri al - pl asti c .
Af ter f i rst pai nti ng oni t, Davi sbec amei ntri g ued wi th theway mol ded pl asti c c oul d beused totransf orm
l i g ht, to c reate movi ng pool s of c ol or. I n hi s Pri nc eton studi o hec onstruc ted mobi l e- l i ke, l i g ht-
modul ators ( years bef ore hemet or apparentl y knewof Mohol y- Nag y) so he c oul d g i ve l i ve
perf ormanc es of hi s " vi sual c hamber musi c . "
Davi s i ni ti al l y turned to f i l mso he c oul d makedoc umentary rec ords of these l i g ht c onc erts, but
rapi dl y real i z ed that wi th f i l mhe c oul d c reate vi sual ef f ec ts f ar beyond what was possi bl ei n real
ti me. Hi s waves and streams of l i g ht, i mag es- of " thec ausati vef orc es of nature, " were not onl y
beauti f ul but wereal so perc ei ved by someobservers as expressi onsof thenewphysi c s whi c h had
j ust af ewyears earl i er provi ded sc i enc ewi th atomi c energ y and expl ai ned thef orc es that f uel ed the
sun. Hemade19 f i l ms that were rel eased f or di stri buti on . ( Anthol og y Fi l mArc hi ves has rec entl y
di sc overed over 100 f i l ms among theJ i mDavi s estate. )
Thoug h he had i nf l uenti al f ri ends- Al f red Barr and Edward Stei c hen of theMuseumof Modern Art,
arc hi tec t Frank Ll oyd Wri g ht and pai nter J ohn Mari n- Davi s was an i ntrospec ti ve, pri vate f i g ure
whodec l i ned to try to promotehi sf i l ms. When i nterest i n vi si onary c i nemabeg an to g rowi n thel ate
1960s, Davi swastooshy and too i l l , and too poorl y represented, toc l ai mhi spl ac enext toc omparabl e
arti sts l i ke J ordan Bel son. I roni c al l y, thoug h heknewthat Brakhag ewasmaki ng hi s f eature- l eng th
TheText of Li g ht, Davi s di ed bef orehe had theopportuni ty to see i t .
I n J ul y 1967 hewrotei n hi s j ournal about hi s" abstrac t" f i l ms that:
Thesearti f i c i al l y i nvented ef f ec ts of dynami c ref l ec ti ons [ and] retrac ti ons. . . areso mysteri ous that
i ndeed they dosug g est theg reat f l ux and f l owof energ i es, or i mpul ses, i n naturethat prec edeand
Len Lye
Cec i l eStarr
FreeRadi c al s by Len Lye, 1979
I n an arti c l e f or Art i n Ameri c a, Adri enne Manc i aand Wi l l ard Van Dyke ( of TheMuseumof Modern
Art) wrote: " Len Lye' s f i l ms must beseen to bebel i eved: an exqui si teand subtl erang eof vi brati ng
c ol or: an enc hanti ng and ori g i nal sync hroni z ati on of vi sual i mag es and g ay musi c : a bri l l i ant
i nterweavi ng of l i ve ac ti on shots, spec i al photog raphi c ef f ec ts suc h as photomontag e, sol ari z ati on
and si l houette, and l etteri ng , drawi ng , stenc i l i ng , sti ppl i ng , pai nti ng , al l donei n di rec t tec hni que. Hi s
f i l ms aremadewi th aperf ec t senseof rhythm, pac e, and c omposi ti on, and best of al l they possess
aqual i ty of ten l ac ki ng i n theexperi mental f i l m- wi t . "
Of al l ani mators, Len Lye( 1901- 80) has been themost unpredi c tabl eand f ree- wheel i ng . Al l other
ani matorsarec al l ed by thei r l ast names, i f they areat al l known: but Len Lyei s al ways Len Lye. ( And
i f you havemet hi meven onc e, hei s" Len" f romthen on. ) " Whenyou start af i l m, what i syour basi c
g oal ? , " an i ntervi ewer onc e asked hi m. " Happi ness, " answered Len Lye, " Great happi ness and
g reat art . "
Len Lyewas born i n NewZeal and and bec amei nterested i n moti on as ayoung boy. Hei nvented
exerc i sesf or hi msel f suc has si tti ng i n asl ow- movi ng horsedrawnc anand sketc hi ng thec l othes of
thepassi ng peopl e, or maki ng mobi l ec onstruc ti onswi th pul l ey wheel sand an ol d phonog raphhandl e.
At 21 hel earned c artoon ani mati on i n astudi o i n Austral i a, then spent twoyears i n Samoa, wherehe
wasc apti vated by pri mi ti ve l i f e and art .
Subsequentl y heturned up i n London, " arol l i ng stonei n art, j ournal i sm, poetry, and phi l osophy, " as
af ri end l ater desc ri bed hi m. TheLondon Fi l mSoc i ety put up themoney f or hi s f i rst f i l m- hi s onl y
c artoon f i l m- whi c h took hi mtwo years to c ompl ete. I t wasti tl ed Tusal ava( 1929) , theSamoan
word meani ng " thi ng s g o f ul l c yc l e"
Later, beg g i ng di sc arded c l ear f i l mf romf ri ends at Eal i ng Studi os, hepersuaded J ohn Gri erson and
Al berto Caval c anti at the Government Post Of f i c e Fi l mUni t to l et hi mmakeabstrac t desi g ns
sync hroni z ed wi th rhythmi c al popul ar musi c . Thesec aptured publ i c attenti on i n movi etheaterswi th
suc h messag esas " Cheaper Parc el Post, " and " Post Bef ore2 P. M. " Among theseshort f i l msarethe
ti tl es: ACol our Box ( 1935) , TradeTattoo( 1937) , Swi ng i ng theLambethWal k ( 1939) , and Musi c al
Poster #1 ( 1940) .
I n desi g n, c ol or, rhythm, and spi ri t, they aretrul y amaz i ng . TradeTattoo, f or exampl e, c ombi nes
l i ve- ac ti on photog raphy of workers and mac hi nes wi th stunni ng c ol or desi g ns pai nted or stenc i l ed
over them- - f i ery red f l ames, bl ueor g ol d g ri ds. Thedesi g nsareal ways i n moti on, movi ng mag i c al l y
f romi mag eto i mag e, f romsl og an to sl og an, endi ng wi th thei mpi sh pl eathat you mai l your l etters
earl y i n theaf ternoon.
10
f ol l ow, the stateof bei ng , whi c h i s l i f e. . . Thi s i s why they havesuc h g reat emoti onal i mpac t. . .
More than 15 years earl i er, i n an arti c l e publ i shed i n Fi l ms i n Revi ew, Davi s had di smi ssed the
medi a of pai nti ng and sc ul ptureas bei ng i nadequateto depi c t " the c ompl exi ti es of the twenti eth
c entury . " I nstead, hedec l ared:
Af ter thi rty years as apai nter and sc ul ptor I havec ometo thec onc l usi on that theonl y rec ordi ng
medi umwi th whi c h avi sual arti st c an express thei deas of our ti me. . . i smoti on pi c ture f i l m.
Davi s' f i l ms, aswel l assc ores of pai nti ng s, photog raphs, l i g ht sc ul pture, and muc hwri tten materi al ,
wereg i ven toAnthol og y i n 1991 . Anthol og y has publ i shed onebook of Davi s' wri ti ng s ( TheFl owof
Energ y) and i s restori ng and rei ssui ng hi s f i l ms. A sec ond book, about hi s doc umentary proj ec ts
wi th Frank Ll oyd Wri g ht and J ohn Mari n, i s about to bepubl i shed i n earl y 1996.
On Dec ember 21, 1966 hewrotei n hi sj ournal about howheperc ei ved hi s work:
Strang e, but theg reat di sc overers of l i g ht were: Rembrandt, Caravag g i o, Le Nai n, and Vermeer.
Af ter themc ameTurner, l ong af ter, and then Monet and theFrenc h I mpressi oni sts.
But, evenmorei mportant arethef i rst experi mentersi n usi ng l i g ht i tsel f , rather thanpi g ment. Sc ri abi n
was the beg i nni ng , and [ Thomas] Wi l f red and hi s Cl avi l ux wasnext. Today thereareaf ewwho
c arry thi s trend to i ts f ul f i l l ment . 1 thi nk that I amperhaps thef oremost of thosearti sts whouti l i z e
l i g ht as themost i mportant medi umof our ti me.
I n 1954 Cec i l eStarr vi si ted Davi s' Pri nc eton apartment, and desc ri bed i t f or an arti c l epubl i shed that
year:
What was onc eal i vi ng roomi snowhi s mai n workshop. . . heg eneral l y worksnear an open wi ndow
usi ng a mi rror to c atc h thenatural sunl i g ht and ref l ec t i t onto the area to bephotog raphed. He
[ someti mes] does usespec i al l i g hts, however, to i l l umi nate hi spl asti c s. Theki tc hen i n Davi s' house
i s bare of everythi ng exc ept darkroomand edi ti ng equi pment.

I n thesi tti ng room( f ormerl y f or
di ni ng ) a 16mmKodasc opesound proj ec tor si ts on al owtabl e.
J i mDavi s, 1971 : J ay Pari s
Si nc e 1944, Len Lyehas l i ved i n the Uni ted States. Unti l 1951, heworked as adi rec tor f or The
Marc h of Ti me. Si nc ethen, hehas f reel anc ed. I t seemsi nc redi bl ethat noneof hi s ri c h i nventi ve
tal ents has been used by Ameri c an adverti sers and tel evi si on networks, or even rec og ni z ed by the
g i versof g rants and publ i c honors.
Asaresul t, i n rec ent years, Len Lyehasdevoted muc hof hi sattenti on todesi g ni ng and c onstruc ti ng
el ec tri c al l y motori z ed metal sc ul ptures. Hehas f ound hi msel f moresuc c essf ul i n sel l i ng thesethan
i n g etti ng money f or f i l ms.
Hi s l atest f i l mwasmadei n 1958 and sent to the I nternati onal Experi mental Fi l mExposi ti on at
Brussel s, wherei t won the$5, 000 f i rst pri z e. Enti tl ed FreeRadi c al s, i t wasetc hed wi th aneedl e,
f rameby f rame, maki ng whi tef i g uresj i g g l e rhythmi c al l y on bl ac k l eader, toasound trac k of Af ri c an
drums and c hants. I asked hi m: Di d you usean el ec tri c needl e? Hebent over an i mag i nary work
benc h to showmehowhehad tensed hi s f i ng ers, hand, arm, and body to c reate, i n pantomi me,
thesef antasti c i mag es, oneby one.
Thef i l mhas been shown i nf requentl y i n thi s c ountry bec ause Len Lye f eel s peopl e whowant i t
shoul d bewi l l i ng to pay f or i t. " Amuseumwi l l pay several thousand dol l arsf or api ec eof sc ul pture, "
hesays, " but i t asks the arti st to l oan or g i vehi s f i l msf or nothi ng . " Theart museumi n Kansas Ci ty
thus f ar i s theonl y onetoof f er an ac c eptabl epri c ef or apri nt.
What does Len Lyethi nk of audi enc es? " I ' ve never heard of an audi enc e, " hesays, " I don' t even
knowwhat an audi enc e i s. I t' s awhol el ot of other peopl ewhoarebasi c al l y auni queversi on of
i ndi vi dual i ty l i ke me, so I ' monl y i nterested i n me. Art i s aquesti on of ' you beme' . . . My exc i tement
i n l i f e i s todi sc over somethi ng that' ssi g ni f i c ant to me. . . and not tothi nk, ' Wel l , I wonder i f so- an- so' s
g oi ng to l i ke thi s. ' "
Sti l l , usi ng hi sownti meand resourc es, Len Lyei sworki ng f romti metoti meon another f i l m, tentati vel y
ti tl ed Parti c l esi n Spac e. Hedesc ri bes i t asasort of extensi on of thetec hni quedevel opedf or Free
Radi c al s. A" tree radi c al , " Len Lyehas sai d, i s a" f undamental parti c l e of matter that c ontai ns the,
energ y of al l c hemi c al c hang e, very muc h l i ke ac ompressed spri ng bef orerel ease. " I c an' t thi nk of
abetter answer, at l east aparti al one, tothequesti on, " Whoi sLen Lye? " Morethan anyoneel sei n
the worl d, heseemsto bethel i vi ng spi ri t of ani mati on- past, present, and f uture.
Cec i l eStarr, " Fi l ms Wi thout Ac tors: TheArt of Ani mati on, " Popul ar Photog raphy, Dec ember 1968,
NewYork, 162- 164 .
JamesWhi tney
Wi l l i amMori tz
JamesWhi tney ( 1921- 81) wasbornDecember 27, 1921 i n Pasadena, Cal i f orni aand l i v ed al l hi sl i f e
i n theLosAngel es area.

I n the earl y 40s, whi l esti l l i n hi s teens, Jamesbegancol l aborati ng on
abstract f i l ms wi th hi s ol der brother John, ( 1917- 95) .

Thei r seri es of Fi l mExerci ses, produced
between1943- 44, arearemarkabl eachi ev ement- v i sual l ybased onmoderni st composi ti ontheory
( l i keSchoenberg' s a- tonal and seri al musi c) wi thcaref ul l yv ari ed permutati onof f ormsmani pul ated
wi thcut- out maskssothat thei magephotographed i spure, di rect l i ght shaped, rather thanthel i ght
ref l ected f romdrawi ngsof obj ects i n tradi ti onal ani mati on. Theeeri eand sensuousgl owof these
f orms i s paral l el ed byapi oneer el ectroni c musi c sound scorecomposed bythebrothers usi ng an
el aborate pendul umdev i cethey i nv ented to wri te out sounds di rectl y onto thef i l m' s soundtrack
area, wi th preci sel y control l ed cal i brati ons. At that ti me, bef ore theperf ecti on of recordi ng tape,
thesesounds- wi th exoti c " pure" tone qual i ti es, mathemati cal l y ev en chromati c gl i ssandos and
rev erberati ng pul sati ons, weretrul y rev ol uti onaryand shocki ng. ThebrotherswonaGrand Pri zeat
the1949 Brussel s Experi mental Fi l mCompeti ti onf or theFi l mExerci ses.
Af ter theFi l mExerci ses, Johnbeganto pursuetechnol ogi cal , theoreti cal , mathemati cal , archi tectoni c
and musi cal i deas whi ch ev entual l y l ed hi mto hi s masterf ul pi oneer work i n Computer Graphi cs.
Meanwhi l e, James becamei ncreasi ngl y i nv ol v ed i n contempl ati v e, spi ri tual i nterests- Jungi an
psychol ogy, al chemy, yoga; Tao, Kri shnamurti and consci ousness expansi on- whi chbecamethe
subj ect matter of thef our f i l ms on whi ch hehas worked f or ov er 30 years. Jamesshares thi s
spi ri tual preoccupati on, bytheway, wi thKupka, Kandi nsky, Mondri an, Rothkoand manyother non-
obj ecti v e arti sts.
Wi l l i amMori tz, excerpted f rom1984 Toronto Fi l mFesti v al catal ogue
Statement
JamesWhi tney
I ' mf ol l owi ng the thread of i nsi ght back to thebegi nni ng bef ore f ragmentati on. I ' mexami ni ng the
" qui ck, " that amazi ng thi n l i neweav i ng betweentheknownand theunknown. I ' mtryi ng to capture
thef i rst " di f f erence" not asani l l usi on ( memory) but asaf act. I t i s ani mmanent, not transcendent
" seei ng. "
Mypri mary concernnowi s to di scov er whether therei s or i s not somethi ng that i s not put together
bythought, whi chi smemory. Ul ti matel y, I seethi sasl eadi ng to si l enceand i magel essness; seei ng
wi thout ani mage- - heari ng wi thout asound.
James Whi tney, " Towards Bei ng Choi cel essl yAware, Conv ersati ons wi thJamesWhi tney, " 1974
JamesWhi tney
Wi l l i amMori tz
James Whi tney' s earl y f i l ms caref ul l y expl oref ormal possi bi l i ti es al ong ri gorousl y pl anned
permutati ons, drawi ng onthemodel of Arnol d Schoenberg' stheori es of musi cal composi ti on. The
8mmVari ati ons, madebetween1940 and 1942, usepri mary geometri cal f i gures- ci rcl e, rectangl e,
tri an l e- 4hat appear and di sappear ( as do thef i gures i n Vi ki ng Eggel i ng' s Di agonal Symphony,
1924, al ter col ors, and ov erl ap i n patterns and sequenceswhi chconsti tutei nv ersi onsand v ari ati ons
onabasi c v i sual theme. Thel ast and most compl ex of these, Vari ati onsonaCi rcl e( 1941- 42) , i s
i nthreemov ements, wi thanal l - bl ue" nocturne" i n themi ddl e, f oreshadowi ng thesecond mov ement
of hi s Fi l mExerci seNo. 4 ( 1944) , f or whi chheal so composed ani mpressi v emusi cal scoreusi ng
thependul umsystemthat al l owed thecomposer to drawpreci sel ycal i brated tonesonthesoundtrack
areaof thef i l m. Thei magesf or Vari ati ons, drawnand ai rbrushed onpaper, appear l ess l umi nous
onf i l m, al thoughJamesusesf l i ckers of contrasti ng col ors and al ternati ons of compl ementarycol ors
YantrabyJamesWhi tney, 1950- 57

Lapi sbyJamesWhi tney, 1963- 66
HarrySmi th
Rani Si ngh
HarrySmi th( 1923- 91) wasarespected, and acknowl edged master i n somanyarti sti c f i el dsi t boggl es
thesensi bi l i ti es; yet, heremai ned v i rtual l yunknownto manyduri ng hi sl i f eti me. I nnov ati v ef i l mmaker
and l egendaryf ol k archi v i st, ethnographer, anthropol ogi st, l i ngui st, occul ti st, thel i st goeson. Hi s
work hasi nf l uenced arti sts and schol ars i n abroad rangeof di sci pl i nes.
Smi thwasborn May29, 1923 i n Portl and, Oregon accordi ng to hi s bi rth certi f i cate. Fromhere
thi ngs get di f f i cul t to ascertai n.
Harry cl ai med " Mymother camef romSi oux Ci ty, I owa: but mygrandmother had aschool that was
supported byCzari naof Russi ai n Si tka, Al aska. . . , " and " Myf ather had runawayat anearl yageto
becomeacowboy. " Harry sai d hi s f ather gav ehi maf ul l yequi pped bl acksmi thshop f or hi stwel f th
bi rthday and tol d hi mheshoul d turnl ead i nto gol d.
We' l l nev er beabl eto separatethetruth of Harry' s background enti rel y f rommyth, but wecan be
surethat f romearl y chi l dhood therewasi nsti l l ed i n hi madri v i ng curi osi ty and anappreci ati on of
al chemi cal pri nci pl es wi ththesynthesi s of thearts and sci ences.
Harrystudi ed anthropol ogy at the Uni v ersi ty of Washi ngtonf or f i v esemestersbetween 1942 and
44. Af ter aweekend v i si t to Berkel eyduri ng whi chhemet anumber of bohemi ans, i ntel l ectual sand
arti sts ( i ncl udi ng WoodyGuthri e) , and experi enced mari j uanaf or thef i rst ti me, Harry real i zed he
coul d no l onger becontent at col l egeand rel ocated to SanFranci sco.
Hi sf i rst hand- pai nted f i l ms i mmedi atel y predatethi s peri od. Hewassurpri sed to f i nd that others
had donesi mi l ar f rame- by- f rameprocesses, but nonehad matched thecompl exi ty of composi ti on,
to gi v ethemv i brancy. Thei magesi ntheExerci sesconsi st of l i ght shaped bymattesand recorded
di rectl y bythecamera, so they gl owwi th anuncanny, neoni ntensi ty.
Af ter l earni ng that hehad unknowi ngl yparti ci pated ( as adraf tsman) i n produci ng theatomi c bomb,
James reti red f romf i l mmaki ng to i ntensi v el y study v ari ous phi l osophi cal , mysti cal di sci pl i nes and
contemporary physi cs. Duri ng thi s peri od heresol v ed to l i mi t al l f uturef i l ms to thebasi c bui l di ng
bl ock of adot, and stayed trueto thi s resol v ei n hi s si x compl eted f i l ms.
Yantra( 1950- 57) consi stsof dotsdrawnonpaper i nv ari ousconf i gurati ons and moti onsequences.
Thesewerephotographed i n bl ack- and- whi te, thenopti cal l y pri nted i n v ari ous col ors, i n di f f erent
combi nati onsand i n di v ersef orward/ backward moti ons- someti mes i n f l i ckeri ng al ternati ons of
v al ues. Jamesdev el oped theexposed f i l mbyhand so hecoul d sol ari zecertai n sequencesto gi v e
themi rregul ar, al eatory textures. Theseel ements- ani mpl odi ng/ expl odi ng ci rcl e, agyrati ng spi ral ,
aspray f anni ng open and cl osed, acl uster spl i tti ng i n two, etc . - f uncti on asdynami c i cons i n a
medi tati ononcreati onand entropy.
Lapi s( 1963- 66) agai nuseshand- pai nted dot patterns, but Jamesf i l med themusi ng acomputeri zed
ani mati onstand [ thef i rst " Moti on- Control " camera, i nv ented byhi s ol der brother John] whi chcoul d
shoot v erypreci semul ti pl eexposuresi ncal i brated di spl acementsthat turned 100 dotsi nto thousands
of dotsi nv ari egated col orswi thi ntri catechangi ng patterns created bytransi torytraj ectori es. Unl i ke
the seethi ng acti v i ty of Yantra' s choreography, Lapi spresents cal ml y pul sati ng mandal as whi ch
astoni shbythei r compl exi tyand hypnoti zethev i ewer i nto contempl ati on of rel ati onshi p between
the" i ndi v i dual " dot and thecol l ecti v econf i gurati on. Jamesagai nusesbl uedurati on to expl oi t the
eye' sf ati gueand render subsequent i magesv i brant, and i n thesecond hal f of Lapi s hei ntegrates
thebl ack " negati v e" spacesbetweenthedotsascounter rhythmsand patterns, enl argi ng thedi al ogue
to " bei ng and nothi ngness. "
James' f i nal seri esof f i l ms conti nued theal chemi cal i mageryof Yantra[ v essel l machi ne] and Lapi s
[ phi l osopher' s stone] i nto amedi tati ononthe i nterdependenceof thef our el ements: Dwi ] a( 1974)
[ rebi rth/ Fi re] , Wu Mi ng ( 1977) [ " No Name" / Water] , Kang Ji ng Xi ang ( 1982) [ " Resembl es bri ght
ecstasy" or " EmptyMi rror I mage" / Ai r] and Li ( unf i ni shed) [ grai n pattern/ Earth] . Onl ythef i rst threeof
thesef i l ms werecompl eted bef orehi s death. Dwi ] ausesl i nedrawi ngs[ l i near arrangementsof dots
i nto patterns] of ei ght i magesof al chemi cal v essel s contai ni ng matter ( symbol i zed byabi rd) i n the
v ari ousstagesof transf ormati on- - subl i mati on, putref acti on, condensati on, etc. Jamesrepeatsthese
ei ght drawi ng i n anendl ess l oop ( ev enasal chemi sts must boi l and re- boi l matter to puri f y i t) , but
agai nsol ari zesthef i l mf or al eatoryv ari ati onsi n col or and texture, and thensuperi mposes l ayers of
suchsol ari zed i mageryto createf l ame- l i keambi gui ty i n ev ery f rame, and adazzl i ng, ev anescent
transi enceabout the25- mi nutewhol e.
I n i ts openi ng passages, Wu Mi ng f urther al i gns dot patterns i nto morenebul ousf ormati ons byre-
photographi ng the sol ari zed i mages out of f ocus, so that ci rcl es and l i nes seemaswav es and
bubbl esof waterytexture. Out of thesef l owi ng currentsemergesasi ngl el argebl ack ci rcl ewhi ch
sl owl y i mpl odes unti l i t di sappearsasati nypoi nt i n center screen, demandi ng anuncompromi si ng
f i xed gaze. A moment l ater, ri ppl i ng ci rcl es expl odeoutward f romthi scenter, as i f thebl ack ci rcl e
wereastonethrowni nto theol d pond of Basho' scl assi c hai ku. But thi s grand, audaci ousgesture
al soaccessestheparti cl e/ wav eambi gui tyof Hei senberg' squantum- mechani cal uncertai ntypri nci pl e.
Kang Ji ng Xi ang combi nesthev i gorous cl uster i consof Yantrawi ththenebul ousv ei l sof Wu Mi ng
and theal chemi cal i consof Dwi ] ai ntransparent l ayersthat sensi ti zeusto i l l usi ons of spectatorshi p,
al so enhanced bytherepeti ti v edri f ti ng throughthef rameof cl oud- l i ke patterns that v ary subtl y i n
col orati onand densi ty. Jamesexpl oi tsagai ncol or durati on, negati v espaceand f l i ckers to engender
hei ghtened percepti on.
E=v en i n an unf i ni shed state, thi s tri l ogy ( nearl y an hour i n l ength) presentsapowerf ul , prov ocati v e
experi ence, ri ch i n contempl ati v eopportuni ti es, and f asci nati ng, exqui si te v i sual sensati ons.
Combi ned wi ththedynami c rangeand physi cal beauty of James' earl i er creati ons, they consti tute
thef i nest, most chal l engi ng achi ev ement of abstract ci nema.
Wi l l i amMori tz, Museedu Ci nema: CentreGeorges Pompi dou, Pari s, 1996
Wu Mi ng byJamesWhi tney, 1977 Kang Ji ng Xi ang byJamesWhi tney, 1982
mov ement and i ntegrati on of hi sownwork . Hi s processesrequi red years of i ntri catel abor. I roni cal l y,
Harry al waysconsi dered hi msel f pri mari l yapai nter rather thanaf i l mmaker .
Smi th' s work i n col l ecti ng and preserv i ng Ameri cansong l i teratureand arti f acts i sunparal l el ed. I n
1952, Fol kways Records i ssued hi s mul ti - v ol umeAnthol ogyof Ameri canFol k Musi c ( Smi thsoni an/
Fol kways2951- 3) . Thesesi x di scs arerecogni zed ashav i ng beenasemi nal , pri marysourceof the
f ol k musi c boomof the50sand 60s. Bob Dyl anhasacknowl edged Smi th' swork asamaj or i nf l uence.
Harryspent yearsl i v i ng wi thAmeri can I ndi an tri bes and recorded the peyotesongs of the Ki owa
I ndi ans ( Fol kways: Ki owaPeyoteMeeti ng 4601) .
Harry' s broad rangeof i nterest resul ted i n anumber of col l ecti ons. Hedonated thel argest known
pri v atepaper ai rpl anecol l ecti on i n theworl d to theSmi thsoni anI nsti tute' sAi r- SpaceMuseum. He
wasacol l ector of Semi nol etexti l es and Ukrai ni anEaster Eggs. Hewasthesel f - descri bed worl d' s
l eadi ng authori ty on stri ng f i gures ( Cat' s Cradl e, etc . ) hav i ng mastered hundredsof f ormsf rom
around theworl d. Harry studi ed manyl anguagesand di al ects, i ncl udi ng Ki owasi gn l anguageand
Kwaki utl . Hecompi l ed theonl yknownconcordanceof theEnochi ansystem( f orwards and rev erse) .
Heal so madeastudyof theunderl yi ng pri nci pl esof Hi ghl and Tartans, correl ated i t to theEnochi an
system, and pai nted el emental tabl ets that combi ned them.
Herecei v ed aGrammyaward f or hi s contri buti on to Ameri canFol k Musi c i n 1991 .
Harry spent hi sl ast years ( 1988- 91) as" shamani n resi dence" at NaropaI nsti tutei n Boul der, where
hi s l i f e' s work cul mi nated i n aseri esof l ectures, audi o taperecordi ngs, and conti nued col l ecti ng and
research.
HyHi rsh
Robert Hal l er
Li ke Man Ray, Hi rsh ( 1911- 1961) seemed to thri v e on thechal l enge and newperspecti v es that
Europeof f ered to theexpatri atearti st . I say"seemed" becauseHi rsh' s l i f ei s f ul l of questi ons. So
manythat weare unl i kel ytobe abl etocl ari f y hi s moti v es, l et al onetheori gi nal f ormof hi s f i l ms.
Mypri nci pal sources of i nf ormati on on Hi rsh arei nterv i ews wi thSi dneyPeterson whoknewhi mi n
San Franci sco, Stan Brakhage whoknewhi mat the end of hi s l i f e i n Europe, and Bi l l Mori tz '
publ i shed essayi n thecatal og Fi l mon Fi l m. Each of thesethreel ooked at Hi rshf roma di f f erent
angl eand sawsomewhat di f f erent men.
Hi rshwas born i n Chi cagoi n 1911, di ed i n Pari s of a heart attack i n 1961 . Asti l l photographer wi th
consi derabl etechni cal ski l l , Hi rsh was an actor i n Ev enas You and I i n 1937, assi sted Si dney
Peterson on Horror Dream, TheCage, and Cl i ni c of Stumbl ei n 1947, and al so worked wi th
J ames Broughton ( TheAdv entures of J i mmi e) and Harry Smi th ( on someof hi s Earl y
Abstracti ons) ; J ordan Bel son usedsomeof hi s f ootageas part of theVortex Concerts i n thel ate
1950s. Hi rsh di d not begi n tomakehi s own f i l ms unti l 1952. Then, i n a sustai ned burst of acti v i ty
hemadeat l east twel v ef i l ms ov er the next ei ght years, unti l hi s sudden death i n Pari s.
Si dneyPeterson knewHi rsh and hi s wi f eMari ei n the 1940s. Hi rsh l ov ed musi c ; both heand hi s
wi f el ov edtocook . But theyhad f undamental psychol ogi cal probl ems. Thecoupl ehad, Peterson
recal l ed, v ery negati v e personal i ti es . They"coul d depress anyonewhocamei ntocontact wi th
them. " Mari edi d not l i ke her f aceand took the drasti c step of hav i ng her ski n peel ed- wi th the
resul ts worsethan whenshestarted theprocess.
Hi rsh, Peterson remembers, "had thebrakes on hi mf or somereason. " I n the 1940s, worki ng on
hi s own, Hi rsh "coul d not seemtof i ni sh anythi ng . " As a sti l l photographer hewoul d of ten make
hundreds of exposures, but not goon tomakea si ngl e pri nt.
I n 1952 Hi rsh 1) brokeout of thi s cycl e and 2) subsequentl y mov ed to Europe i n 1955. Stan
Brakhagesays Hi rsh cl ai med hewas a v i cti mof McCarthyi sm, and that thi s i s what madehi m
l eav eSan Franci sco f or Amsterdam. Peterson scof f s at thi s, doubts Hi rsh was of anypol i ti cal
i nterest; Peterson says Hi rsh was "bui l di ng hi s ownl egend. " ( Though Mori tz says Hi rshwas i nv ol v ed
wi th l ef t- wi ng f i l ms i n Cal i f orni ai n the1930s. ) Meanwhi l e, i n 1951, whi l esti l l i n San Franci scoand
usi ng a hand- madeopti cal pri nter, Hi rsh compl eted hi s f i rst f i l m, Di v erti ssement Rococo. The
presence of the experi mental l y- ori ented Art i n Ci nemaseri es at the San Franci sco Museumof
Art- i t was al ready presenti ng f i l ms by Broughton and Smi th- mayhav e moti v ated Hi rsh. Hi s
second f i l m, ComeCl oser, i n 1952, was shown at Art i n Ci nema. Then, af ter maki ng Eneri i n
1953, Hi rsh mov ed across theAtl anti c ( i n 1955) , spendi ng most of therest of hi s l i f e i n Amsterdam
and Pari s, wherehemadeten moref i l ms.
Thedati ng and f ormof the f i l ms i s probl emati c . For thi s therearetworeasons. Fi rst, Hi rsh al tered
thef i l ms, of ten re- edi ti ng themf romscreeni ng toscreeni ng . Second, hi s f i l mi c estatewas v ery
di sorgani z ed becauseof a pol i cesearch af ter hi s death. Hi rsh hadbeensel l i ng drugs, transporti ng
themi n f i l mcans. When Robert Pi kereassembl ed thef i l ms, Mori tz says, Pi kemadeerrors.
There aretwo publ i shed f i l mographi es f or Hi rsh. Theycompound theconf usi on. Scheugl and
Schmi dt i n thei r Lexi kondes Av antgarde( 1974) prov i dethef i l mographyi n thel ef t col umn. Mori tz ,
i n Fi l mAs Fi l m, proposed adi f f erent f i l mography, but i t was seri ousl yf l awed bypri nter' s errors. As
thi s essaygoes to press, I hav erecei v edanother Hi rsh f i l mographythat Mori tz copi edf romHi rsh' s
own handwri ti ng, onethat makes moresenseand appears i n theri ght col umn:
Hi Hi rsh i n Ev enAs You andI ,
1937: Wi l l i amMori tz
Eneri byHi Hi rsh, 1953:
Wi l l i amMori tz
J ordan Bel son
Wi l l i amMori tz
AutumnSpectrumbyHy
Hi rsh, 1957: Creati v eFi l m
Soci ety
J ordan Bel son ( 1926- ) studi ed pai nti ng bef oreseei ng Oskar Fi schi nger and theWhi tneybrothers'
f i l ms at the1946 Art i n Ci nemascreeni ngs at theSan Franci scoMuseum, whereupon hei ncreasi ngl y
dev otedhi msel f to themov i ng abstract i mage. Hi s earl yf i l ms ani mated real obj ects ( pav ements i n
Bop- Scotch, 1952) andscrol l pai nti ngs prepared l i ke f i l mstri ps wi th successi v ei mages ( Mandal a,
1953) . Bel son subsequentl ywi thdrewthesef i l ms f romci rcul ati on as i mperf ect and pri mi ti v e, but
theyal readyref l ect hi s ref i ned pl asti c sensi bi l i ty, f i ne col or sense, and superb senseof dynami c
structure. Theyal sof oreshadowhi s more accompl i shed expressi ons of mysti cal concepts, Bop
Scotchseemi ng torev eal ahi dden soul andl i f e- f orcei n "i nani mate" obj ects, and Mandal a presenti ng
acompel l i ng v ersi on of the centeri ng medi tati on i mage.
Between 1957 and 1959, Bel son col l aborated wi th composer HenryJ acobs on thehi stori c Vortex
Concerts, whi ch combi ned thel atest el ectroni c musi c wi th mov i ng v i sual abstracti ons proj ected on
thedomeof Morri son Pl anetari umi n San Franci sco( and al sothe Brussel s Worl d Fai r i n 1958) .
Thesepi oneer Li ght Shows usedf i l medi magery( byBel son, hi s wi f eJ ane, J ames Whi tneyand Hy
Hi rsh) as wel l as mul ti pl e proj ecti ons of geometri c and pol ymorphous l i ght phenomenaproduced
by non- f i l mi c means. Together wi th the contempl ati v e Lumi a of Thomas Wi l f red ( sl owl y- ev ol v i ng
pol ymorphous l i ght proj ecti ons) , theVortex experi encei nspi redBel sontoabandontradi ti onal pai nti ng
and ani mati oni n f av or of creati ng v i sual phenomena i n somethi ng l i ke real ti me, byl i v e mani pul ati on
of pure l i ght- whi ch has been the technol ogi cal basi s f or hi s more than 20 f i l ms f rom Al l ures
( 1961) toNorthern Li ghts ( 1985) .
1 2
Thesetwol i sts di f f er i n manyways. 1) Mori tz says that Mad Nest i s not byHi rsh at al l but byBai rd
Bryant and Taj i ri r Shi nki chi whowereHi rsh' s nei ghbors i n Pari s. 2) Def ense d' af f i cher means
"Post NoBi l l s, " yet theS&S f i l mography l i sts i t and thetransl ati on as separatef i l ms! 3) Another
di f f erence i s that Dj i nn and Changeof Keyare perf ormances, accordi ng to Mori tz . 4) Fi nal l y,
Morti z nowdates Hi rsh' s death dateas 1961, contrarytoal l prev i ous ci tati ons as 1960.
Statement
HyHi rsh
Gyromorphosi s stri v es tobri ng i ntoactual i ty thei nherent ki neti c qual i ti es seen i n theconstructi on-
scul ptureof Constant Ni euwenhuys of Amsterdam. Toreal i z e thi s ai mI hav eput i nto moti on, one
byone, pi eces of thi s scul ptureand, wi th col ored l i ghti ng, f i l med themi n v ari ous detai l , ov erl ayi ng
thei mages onthef i l mas theyappear anddi sappear . I n thi s way, I hav ehopedtoproducesensati ons
of accel erati on and suspensi on whi ch aresuggested to mebythescul pturei tsel f .
HyHi rsh
Wi l l i amMori tz
The bri l l i ance of HyHi rsh' s f i l ms of ten ari ses not so much f romthei r techni cal ori gi nal i ty as f rom
thei r cannycoupl i ng of i magerywi th musi c that perf ectl y matches i ts mood. Hi rsh' s homemade
opti cal pri nter and oi l wi pei nstrument werecopi ed f romJ ohn Whi tney' s ori gi nal s, but thei ntri cacy
of what Hi rsh di d wi th themi n f i l ms l i ke Eneri ( 1953) and Chassedes Touches ( 1959) ( wi th thei r
dupl i cated, l ayered abstract i magerysometi mes pri nted i ntosev eral si mul taneous smal l er "screens"
that contrast i n push- pul l col ors) f ar exceeds Whi tney' s useof thesesametool s. Hi rshknewMcLaren
and Lyebef orehescratched and pai nted di rectl y on f i l m, but hi s Scratch Pad ( 1960) has a wi tty
j az z expressi oni st personal i tydi f f erent f romhi s predecessors. Lyehad used the opti cal pri nter f or
synthesi z i ng surreal cl usters of i magery, but agai n Hi rsh' s compl ex i nterf ace of i mageryi n hi s f i nal
f our f i l ms createamoreradi cal and i roni c worl dv i ew[ f i reworks turni ng i ntoan H- bombbl ast, a cat
watchi ng f ootbal l whi l ewal ki ng backwards, autos raci ng through a woman' s nude body, Chapl i n
pratf al l s repeated i n l oops unti l they becomemenaci ng] that bel ongs moretothe Post- Modern
v i si on of BruceConner and Pat O' Nei l l than to thef ormal i st/ moderni st past .
I n thev i sual musi c f i l ms of Hi rsh hi s exqui si tetasteshows up most strongl y: i n the paral l el between
thei mpossi bl ethree- di mensi onal occl usi ons of ri bbons i n ComeCl oser ( 1952) wi th wi l d i nf ecti ous
Cari bbeancarni v al musi c, or i n l i nki ng thej aggedmov i ng camera andstaccatocutti ng of i mages of
Pari s posters i n Def ensed' af f i cher ( 1958- 59) wi th an equal l yf reneti c Cuban j az z . Si mi l arl y the
mel l owModern J az z Quartet sounds that accompanythef l ui d ref l ecti ons i n Amsterdamcanal s of
AutumnSpectrum( 1957) or thel ayers of metal l i c ref l ecti ons f romConstant Ni euwenhui s' scul pture
i n Gyromorphosi s ( 1957) seemsoperf ectl y matchedas torender compari son wi th predecessors
l i ke Ruttmann' s I n the Ni ght or Mohol y- Nagy' s Li ghtpl ay Bl ack Whi te Grey( 1926) i rrel ev ant .
Oneshoul d al sonotethat Hi rsh recorded hi s ownsound f roml i v e perf ormances sothat theyare
not exactl yequi v al ent to theappropri ati on of commerci al recordi ngs socommoni n l ater f i l ms.
Hi rsh' s use of theosci l l oscope pattern as a sourceof non- obj ecti v e f i gures and mov ements may
wel l betheearl i est ( though experi ments byNorman McLaren andMaryEl l en Buteweredev el opi ng
at about the sameti me) as wel l as the most i nv enti v e i n i ts v ari ati ons, such as, i n Eneri , the
spectacul ar rol l i ng l i ssaj ous i n f ront of v erti cal ri bbi ng, thef ragmentati on i nto texture f or l arger
f i gures, as wel l as the sub- screens- al l of whi ch scrupul ousl ycorresponds to thecompl exi ti es of
Af ri can drummi ng rhythms.
Wi l l i amMori tz , Museedu Ci nema, CentreGeorges Pompi dou, Pari s, 1996
HyHi rsh, 1957: Creati v eFi l mSoci ety
Thesecond maj or wel l - spri ng of Bel son' s maturef i l ms arosef romhi s i ncreasi ng i nv ol v ement wi th
mysti cal and contempl ati v ephi l osophi es. Duri ng the 1950s, hehad been an i ntegral part of the
Zen Buddhi smof San Franci sco' s North Beach Beat scene ( i ndeed, Bel son sti l l l i v es i n North
Beach) . Thematuref i l ms f requentl yexpress aspects of I ndi anmysti ci smandyoga, ref l ected i n the
ti tl es of hi s masterpi eces Samadhi ( 1967) and Chakra( 1972) , whi ch render theactual v i sual and
audi tory phenomena that Bel son experi enced i n hei ghtened states of medi tati v e concentrati on.
Theyal so expl ore the rel ati onshi p between sci enti f i c theori es and human, spi ri tual percepti on
( Phenomena[ 1965] , Li ght [ 1973] ) . Manyof thef i l ms sharecertai n i mages whi ch Bel son regards
as "hi erogl yphi c- i deographi c" v i sual uni ts that express compl ex i deati on not easi l y stated i n v erbal
terms.
Becausetheessenceof Bel son' s arti stry depends onsubtl eti es of changi ng f ormand col or, hehas
experi enced great di f f i cul ti es i n preserv i ng hi s f i l ms. Manycopi es of the f i l ms f romthe 1970s
pri nted on Eastmancol or stock hav ef aded or changed col or so muchas to bemeani ngl ess. Fi v e
f i ni shedf i l ms f romthe1980s hav enev er been pri nted or di stri buted, al though Bel son i ncorporated
sel ected i mageryf romthem( moments that retai ned thei r i ntegri ty on el ectroni c reproducti on) i n a
hal f - hour v i deotape, Samadhi , whi ch i s commerci al l ydi stri buted byMysti c Fi re i n theUni tedStates.
Wi l l i amMori tz , Museedu Ci nema, CentreGeorges Pompi dou, Pari s, 1996
Scheugl andSchmi dt Mori tz
1952 Di v erti ssement Rococo 1951 Di v erti ssement Rococo
ComeCl oser 1952 ComeCl oser
Coul eur del a Forme 1953 Eneri
195? Changeof Key 1957 Gyromorphosi s
ChassedeTouches AutumnSpectrum
Dj i nn 1958 Def ense d' af f i cher
Experi ments 1959 Chassedes Touches
Mad Nest 1960 Scratch Pad
Def ense d' af f i cher Decol l ages Recol l es
Post NoBi l l s 1961 LaCoul eur del a f orme
Recherche EtudeAnatomi quedu Photographs
Scratch Pad Recherche
1958 Gyromorphosi s
Autumn Spectrum
Doubl eJ am
Eneri
J amesSi bl ey Watson, J r . andMel vi l l eWebber
Br ucePosner
Dr . J ames Si bl ey Watson, J r . ( 1894 - 1982) i s oneof the f ew exampl es i n our centur y of a
Renai ssanceman. Wi th hi sf r i end Scof i el dThayer , hewasthepubl i sher andthegui di ng spi r i t of
The Di al , the most outstandi ng l i ter ar y andar ts magazi ne i n Amer i can Hi stor y, f r om1920 to
1929. He, al ong wi th col l abor ator Mel vi l l eWebber , was thecr eator of two i mpor tant avant- gar de
Amer i canf i l ms, TheF al l of theHouseof Usher ( 1927- 28) , and Lot i n Sodom( 1929- 32) . He
pl ayedani mpor tant r ol e i n thedevel opment of X- r ay ci nematogr aphy andof opti cal pr i nter s f or
moti on pi ctur es. I n addi ti on, hewasthef r i endandsuppor ter of Kenneth Bur ke, E. E. Cummi ngs,
Gaston Lachai seandMar i anneMoor e. J amesCar dof theI nter nati onal Musuemof Photogr aphy
at Geor geEastman Housenotedthat " what hetur ned to, hebecameextr emel y goodat . "
Mel vi l l e Webber ( 1895- 1947) pur suedpar al l el car eer s i n ar t hi stor y, ar cheol ogy, pai nti ng, and
di r ecti ng moti on pi ctur es. Af ter gr aduati ng f r omHar var di n 1917, hecompl etedamonogr aph on
theRomanesquef r escoes at Tavant, F r anceandthen r etur ned to Har var df or gr aduatestudy i n
ar t andar cheol ogy. Hewas appoi nted i n 1926 Assi stant Di r ector of theMemor i al AnGal l er y,
Uni ver si ty of Rochester andal so taught ther eas Assi stant Pr of essor of Ar t Hi stor y unti l 1928. I n
November 1926, he suggested to Dr . Watson that " hewoul d l i ke to tr y hi s hand at sets f or a
photopl ay. " Thi s r esul ts i n thegenesi s of two exper i mental f i l mcl assi cs, TheF al l of theHouse
of Usher and Lot i n Sodomas wel l as sever al other uncompl etedf i l mpr oducti ons between
WatsonandWebber . Dur i ng 1933- 34, Webber wor kedi n aManhattan hotel r oomcol l abor ati ng
wi th Mar y El l en ButeandTedNemeth ontheabstr act f i l mRhythmi n Li ght. Soonaf ter f or tunes
shi f tedf or Webber , hesuf f er edacompl etener vous br eakdownf r omwhi ch henever f ul l y r ecover ed
anddi edi n an i nsti tuti on i n Canandai gua, NewYor k .
Statement
J amesSi bl ey Watson, J r .
Mel vi l l eWebber andI star tedtowor k on our f i r st enter tai nment f i l mi n thewi nter of 1926- 27 . Mel vi l l e
was scenar i st, i deaman, scenepai nter , costumedesi gner , make- up man, di r ector , andal sopl ayed
thepar t of TheVi si tor . Mypar t wascr anki ng thecamer a, l i ghti ng thesetsandtheactor s, devel opi ng,
pr i nti ng, spl i ci ng, andpr oj ecti ng thef i l m. Our pr el i mi nar y exper i mentsl ef t uswi th manyf eet of di scar ds.
Ontheother hand, wehadmanagedtoassembl eanumber of " pr oper ti es" that wer etobeextr emel y
usef ul whenwef i nal l y settl ed downto r etel l i ng Poe' sstor y. The" pr oper ti es" i ncl udedahome- made
cof f i n, acar dboar df l at pai ntedby Mel vi l l e tor epr esent thef acadeof thehouseof Usher , ashor t f l i ght
of f ai r l y nor mal steps, and a l ong f l i ght of steps i n mi ni atur e. Wehadal so acqui r ed f r omScott
Ster l i ng, of Bausch &Lomb, pr i smsanddi stor ti ng l enses that coul dber otated i n f r ont of thecamer a
l ens. Rotati ng thel atter devi cecausesthe subj ect toappear successi vel y shor t andwi deandthental l
andthi n, an" ef f ect' empl oyedto gi ve asor t of r hythmto the scene i n whi ch abl ack- gl oved hand
TheF al l of theHouseof Usher by J amesSi bl ey Watson, J r . &Mel vi l l e Webber , 1927- 28:
Museumof Moder nAr t F i l mSti l l s
Lot i nSodomby J amesSi bl ey Watson, J r . &Mel vi l l eWebber , 1929- 32: Museumof Moder nAr t
F i l mSti l l s
Dudl ey Mur phy
Wi l l i amMor i tz
Of thesi x or mor e" Vi sual Symphoni es, " shor t f i l ms synchr oni zedto cl assi cal musi c, whi ch Dudl ey
Mur phy ( 1897- 1968) madebetween 1920 and 1922, onl y oneseemsto sur vi ve, DanseMacabr e
to theSai nt- Sati ns musi c. Unf or tunatel y, i t i s atypi cal i n that i t r ecor dsAdol ph Bol m' sstagedance
per f or mance, whi l etheother swer eshot mor ef i l mi cal l y: the1920 Soul of theCypr ess [ pr obabl y
Debussy' s " Uapr bs- mi di d' un f aune" ] , f or exampl e, was pr ai sedf or i ts excel l ent l yr i cal photogr aphy
of l andscape, andwas ci ted by TheNewYor k Ti mes as oneof thebest f i l ms of theyear . Mur phy
al so madeaf eatur ecomedyHi gh SpeedLee( 1923) , andstudi ed l ens technol ogy at col l egesohe
coul ddesi gn hi s own" speci al ef f ect" l enseswi th i r r egul ar , bevel edsur f acesthat cr eatedkal ei doscopi c
i mager y.
Mur phy' s desi r ef or mor eaccur atesynchr oni zati on l ed hi mto Par i s wher ehemet ManRay and
pr oposed acol l abor ati on on amor eadventur ous f i l m. Together they shot scenes on thestr eet
( i ncl udi ng stor ewi ndows andawasher womanwal ki ng up stai r s) andi n Luna Par k, scenesof Ki ki
i nwhi temi memake- up andKather i neMur phyi nr omanti c poses, f ootageof machi nepar tspumpi ng
tobei nter cut wi th er oti c scenes, andshots of cakemol ds andother utensi l stakenthr ough Mur phy' s
l enses- bef or e r unni ng out of money. When Mur phy r esol vedto ask F er nandLeger f or f i ni shi ng
f unds, Man Ray demanded nomenti on of hi s namei n connecti on wi th thef i l m, as hef ear ed a
1 3
smoothsMadel i ne' sbur i al r obeasshel i es supi nei nher cof f i n. I nanother scene, TheVi si tor i s r eadi ng
to Roder i ck. Her ecer tai n key wor ds ar eemphasi zedby r ef l ecti ng the l etter s i n thepol i shed sur f aceof
apl atter tur ni ng onamonogr aph tur ntabl e, maki ng thesyl l abl es r i ppl e.
I n Lot [ i n Sodom] , di stor ti on i s of tenusedtokeep r eal i ty, or r ather i ts appear ance, f r omdi stur bi ng the
f i l m' s mood. And i n thef i nal scenethedi stor ti on makes Lot' s daughter seemnot onl y di f f er ent but
f or mi dabl easshegr aspsthewi necup.
Al l of theef f ects i n Usher hadtobedonewi th, or i n, thecamer a. F or Lot, however , wehadan opti cal
pr i nter , enabl i ng us to makechanges i n asceneaf ter i t hadbeenshot . Run- upsandpul l - backs made
wi th the pr i nter ar enear l y asgoodasthosemadeby movi ng thecamer a, andi f mi stakesoccur theycan
becor r ectedwi thout r etaki ng thescene. Nowadaysr un- upsandpul l - backscan bequi ckl y accompl i shed
wi th azooml ens, though themovi ng camer ai s sti l l much mevi dence, whether mountedon acar , or
copter , or on theendof amassi vecamer a- cr aneonwheel s.
Many of thetr ansi ti ons i n Lot- 4ades, di ssol ves, etc. - wer eput i n wi th theopti cal pr i nter ; al so spl i t
scr eenef f ects. Tr uepr i smati c ef f ects ar ef ew, al though ther ei s onesuch, acomi cal l y si ni ster scenei n
whi ch peopl edanci ng i n aci r cl e ar e" tr uncated" sotospeak, totheextent that each oneappear sas a
headandshoul der scaper i ng on apai r of l egs, sans tr unk.
Usher was str i ctl y amateur ; noneof ushadany exper i encewi th pr of essi onal f i l mpr oducti on, l east of al l
mysel f . I t was onl y r ecentl y that I hadbecomeobsessedwi th thei deaof maki ng movi es. My f i r st
camer awasaSept, asmal l cl ockwor k af f ai r that r anthi r ty- si x f eet of f i l mat al oadi ng . Later I bought a
second- handBel l &Howel l " studi o" camer aandaspeedmovement f or i t . Thestandar dB. &H. movement
coul dbeadj ustedto r un twof i l ms, and i t was i n thi s way that wewer eabl eto super i mposeamovi ng
hor seandr i der onabackgr oundof movi ng cl ouds, theopeni ng sceneof our f i l m.
By theti mewehadgi ven up onaf i l menti tl edTheDi nner Par ty asbei ng toodi f f i cul t andwer er eady to
begi n wor k on Lot, two new member s hadbeenaddedto our gr oup, RemsenWoodandAl ec Wi l der .
Remsenwantedtouseour equi pment i n maki ng asoundf i l mof obj ects movi ng i n ti metothemusi cof
Str avi nsky' s F i r e Bi r d. I n r etur nheagr eedtohel p us wi th Lot, andhel p us hedi d. I t was thr ough hi m
andhi s f r i ends at Kodak Par k that weobtai nedasoundonf i l mr ecor der . Hekept our newopti cal pr i nter
wor ki ng, madeval uabl esuggesti ons, and, most i mpor tant of al l , hehel ped Mel vi l e wi th thedi f f i cul t task
of synchr oni zi ng our f i l mwi th i ts soundtr ack- 4hemusi cal scor ecomposedand conducted by Loui s
Si egel andpl ayedbystudentsf r omtheEastmanSchool , amongthemtheOboi st Mi tchel l Mi l l er . Though
cr udel y r ecor ded, thi s musi c gi vesto por ti ons of thef i l mani mpact andameani ng that woul dbebadl y
mi ssedi f thepr oj ector ' s soundsystemwer etobr eak down. Thesamecan besai d of theWi l der scor e
f or Usher .
J ames Si bl ey Watson, J r . , " The F i l ms of J . S. Watson, J r . , and Mel vi l l e Webber :
SomeRetr ospecti ve Vi ews ( 1) , " TheUni ver si ty of Rochester Li br ar y Bul l eti n, Vol . XXVI I I , No. 2, Wi nter
1975, 74- 75.
J amesSi bl ey Watson, wor ki ng on af i l m: Geor geEastmanHouse
mi shap i n the hands of the humor l ess Leger . Ther esul ti ng f i l m, Bal l et Mecani que( 1924) , i s
Mur phy' s most f amous wor k, al bei t under the nameof i ts f i nanci al backer , Leger , who had no
pr acti cal knowl edge of such f i l mmaki ng techni ques ascamer awor k, l i ghti ng, l enses andedi ti ng .
Mur phy r etur nedtoAmer i cawher ehemade" speci al ef f ects" of montagesandkal ei doscopi c i l l usi ons
f or the Gl or i aSwanson f i l mTheLoveof Sunya( 1927) , wr ote f i l ms l i ke Last Command( 1928)
andDr acul a( 1931) , anddi r ectedsomedozenf eatur es i ncl udi ng thePaul RobesonEmper or J ones
( 1933) , themusi cal TheNi ght i s Young ( 1935) andthesoci al i st pr otest f i l mOneThi r dof aNati on
( 1939) , as wel l as two successf ul f eatur es i n Mexi co. Heal so conti nued to makemusi cal shor t
f i l ms, i ncl udi ng theBessi eSmi th St. Loui s Bl ues ( 1928) , theDukeEl l i ngton Bl ack andTan( 1929) ,
andten" soundi es" ( j ukebox f i l ms) i ncl udi ng Lazybones( 1941) wi th HoagyCar mi chael andDor othy
Dandr i dge. Thr oughout thi s commer ci al wor k, Mur phy was r egar ded as somethi ng of an
exper i mental i st, andheper si sted i ntr yi ng togi vedynami c andmusi cal qual i ti es tothecamer awor k
andedi ti ng . The" kal ei doscopi c" l enses usedi n Bal l et Mecani que, f or exampl e, wer ef ur ther used
f or dancesequences i n Bl ack andTan( wher ethemi r r or ed f l oor of theCotton Cl ub pr ovi deseven
mor e compl ex f acets) and i n TheSpor t Par ade ( 1932) ( wher ether e i s no r eal necessi ty f or a
musi cal number ) .
Wi l l i amMor i tz, MuseeduCi nema, Centr eGeor ges Pompi dou, Par i s, 1996
Li ght Ryt hms by Fr anci s Br ugui er e, 1929- 30:
Nat i onal Fi l mAr chi ve
Fi l mogr aphy
Abst r act Ci nema i n Amer i ca: Sel ect ed
The f ol l owi ng l i st was compi l ed by Br uce Posner and Sabr i na
Zanel l a- For esi f r omvar i ous sour ces pr ovi dedbyWi l l i amMor i t z,
Ceci l e St ar r and Rober t Hal l er . Si nce many of t he f i l ms have
i ncompl et e and/ or conf l i ct i ng dat a, i . e . Hy Hi r sh, Har r y Smi t h,
Wat son &Webber , et c . , i t i s suggest ed t hat t hei r ver aci t y be
subj ect t o mor e det ai l ed r esear ch . I n ot her cases, a compl et e
l i st i ng of f i l ms pr oved beyond t he space l i mi t at i ons of t hi s
publ i cat i on, e. g . Br akhage over 250t i t l es ; J ames Davi s over 113
t i t l es, et c . , so a par t i al l i st i ng of t i t l es r el evant t o abst r act
f i l mmaki ng i s pr esent ed. Unl ess ot her wi se not ed, t he or i gi nal
pr oduct i ons ar e 16mmsound f i l ms made i n Uni t ed St at es of
Amer i ca.
J or dan Bel son
( b. 1926- )
Tr ansmut at i on ( dest r oyed) " 1947
I mpr ovi sat i on #1 " 1948
Bop- Scot ch " 1952, 3 mi ns, col or
Mandal a " 1952, 3 mi ns, col or
Raga " 1958, 7 mi ns, col or
Al l ur es " 1961, 8 mi ns, col or
Re- ent r y " 1964, 7 mi ns, col or
Phenomena* 1965, 7 mi ns, col or
Samadhi " 1967, 6mi ns, col or
Medi t at i on " 1971, 7mi ns, col or
Chakr a " 1972, 8 mi ns, col or
Li ght " 1973, 8 mi ns, col or
Musi c of t he Spher es " 1977, 7 mi ns, col or
Fount ai n of Dr eams " 1984, 8 mi ns, col or
Nor t her n Li ght s " 1985, 8 mi ns, col or
Fr anci s Br ugui er e
( b. 1879 - d. 1945)
The Way( unf i ni shed)
Li ght Rhyt hms " 1931, Gr eat Br i t ai n, 35mm, 6mi ns, bw, si l ent
St an Br akhage
( b. 1933 - )
Thi gh Li ne Lyr e Tr i angul ar " 1960- 61, 5mi ns, col or , si l ent
Mot hl i ght " 1963, 4 mi ns, col or , si l ent
Dog St ar Man: Par t I V " 1964, 5mi ns, col or , si l ent
The Hor seman, t he Woman, andt he Mot h " 1968, 19 mi ns,
col or , si l ent
Eye Myt h " 1972, 8 seconds, 35mm, col or , si l ent
The Wol d- Shadow" 1972, 2. 5 mi ns, col or , si l ent
"HeWas Bor n, HeSuf f er ed, HeDi ed" " 1974, 7. 5 mi ns, col or ,
si l ent
Skei n " 1974, 4 mi ns, col or , si l ent
TheGar den of Ear t hl y Del i ght s " 1981, 2. 5 mi ns, 35mm, col or ,
si l ent
Hel l Spi t Fl exi on " 1983, 1 mi n, 35mm, col or , si l ent
LoudVi sual Noi ses " 1986, 2. 5 mi ns, col or , si l ent
Ni ght musi c " 1986, 30 sees, 35mm, col or , si l ent
The Dant eQuar t et " 1987, 6mi ns, 35mm, col or , si l ent
Rage Net " 1988, 30 sees, 35mm, col or , si l ent
Gl aze of Cat hexi s " 1990, 3 mi ns, col or , si l ent
Del i caci es of Mol t en Hor r or Synapse " 1991, 10 mi ns, col or ,
si l ent
I nt er pol at i ons I N " 1992, 12 mi ns, 35mm, col or , si l ent
Aut umnal " 1993, 5mi ns, col or , si l ent
Ephemer al Sol i dar i t y " 1993, 4. 5 mi ns, col or , si l ent
Bl ack I ce " 1994, 2. 5 mi ns, col or , si l ent
Char t es Ser i es " 1994, 9 mi ns, col or , si l ent
El ement ar y Phr ases " Co- Di r ect ed wi t h Phi l Sol omon, 1994,
38 mi ns, col or , si l ent
I Take These Tr ut hs " 1995, 18 mi ns, col or , si l ent
We Hol dThese " 1995, 12 mi ns, col or , si l ent
Spr i ng Cycl e " 1995, 10 mi ns, col or , si l ent
I . . . " 1995, 25 mi ns, col or , si l ent
Fr ee Radi cal s by Len Lye, 1979: Ant hol ogy Fi l mAr chi ve
Mar y El l en But e
( b. 1908- d. 1983)
TedNemet h
( b. 1911 - d. 1986)
Synchr omyNo. 1 ( Synchr oni zat i on) ( unf i ni shed)
" Col l abor at or s: J oseph Schi l l i nger , Lewi s J acobs, 1932
Rhyt hmi n Li ght " Col l abor at or s: Mel vi l l e Webber , TedNemet h
" Musi c : Gr i eg' s "Ani t r a' s Dance" f r omPet er Gynt 1934, 5
mi ns, 35mm, bw
Synchr omyNo. 2" Col l abor at or : TedNemet h " Musi c : Rei nal d
Wer r enr at h si ngs "The Eveni ng St ar " f r omWagner ' s
Tannhauser 1935, 5mi ns, 35mm, bw
Dada ( Uni ver sal Cl i p) " Col l abor at or : Ted Nemet h, 1936, 3
mi ns, 35mm, bw
Par abol a " Col l abor at or s: Rut her f or d Boyd, Ted Nemet h, Bi l l
Nemet h " Musi c Dar i us Mi l haud' s Cr eat i on of t he Wor l d, 1937,
8. 5 mi ns, 35mm, bw
Escape ( Synchr omy No. 4) " Col l abor at or s: TedNemet h, Bi l l
Nemet h " Musi c: J . S, Bach' s' Toccat a" f r omToccat a andFuge
i n DMi nor , 1937, 4 mi ns, 35mm, col or
Spook Spor t " Col l abor at or s: Nor man McLar en, Ted Nemet h
" Musi c : Sai nt - Sat i ns' Danse macabr e, 1939, 8 mi ns, 35mm,
col or
Tar ant el l a ( Synchr omy No. 9) " Col l abor at or : TedNemet h
" Musi c : Edwi n Ger schef ski , 1940, 4. 25 mi ns, 35mm, col or
Pol ka Gr aph ( Fun wi t h Musi c) " Col l abor at or : TedNemet h
" Musi c : Shost akovi ch' s Age of Gol d, 1947, 4 mi ns, 35mm,
col or
MoodLyr i c ( mi ssi ng, possi bl y par t of MoodCont r ast s)
" Col l abor at or : TedNemet h - Musi c: Ri msky- Kor sakov' s "Hymn
t o t he Sun" f r omThe Gol den Cocker el , 1947, 3 mi ns, 35mm,
col or
Col or Rhapsodi e " Col l abor at or : TedNemet h " Musi c : Li szt ' s
Hungar i an RhapsodyNo. 2, 1948, 6mi ns, 35mm, col or
Past or al " Col l abor at or : Ted Nemet h, Hi l l ar y Har r i s " Musi c:
Leopol d St okowski conduct i ng Bach' s SheepMaySaf el y
Gr aze, 1950, 6mi ns, 35mm, col or
Abst r oni c " Col l abor at or : TedNemet h " Musi c : Aar on Copl and' s
"Hoedown" f r omBi l l y t he Ki d&Don Gi l l i s' Ranch HousePar t y,
1952, 5. 5 mi ns, 35mm, col or
MoodCont r ast s " Col l abor at or : TedNemet h " Musi c : Ri msky-
Kor sakov' s "Hymn t o t he Sun" f r omThe Gol den Cocker el &
Shost akovi ch' s "Dance of t he J uggl er s" f r omTheSnowMai den,
1953, 6. 5 mi ns, 35mm, col or
I magi nat i ons - Col l abor at or : TedNemet h, 1958, 1958, 2 mi ns, 35mm,
col or
RCA: NewSensat i ons i n Sound" Col l abor at or : TedNemet h,
1959, 3 mi ns, 35mm, col or
J ane ( Bel son) Conger
( b.
?? - d, ??)
Logos" Musi c : Henr y J acobs, 1957, 2 mi ns, col or
Odds &Ends " 1957, 5mi ns, col or
Dougl ass Cr ockwel l
( b. 1904 - d. 1968)
Fant asmagor i a I " 1938
Fant asmagor i a I I " 1939
Fant asmagor i a I I I " 1940
Gl ens Fal l s Sequences 1946, 8 mi ns, col or , si l ent
The Long Bodi es " 1947, 4 mi ns, col or , si l ent
J i mEdwar dDavi s
( b. 1901 - d. 1974)
Tr anspar ent Pl ast i cs* 1946, 11 . 25 mi ns, col or
Pai nt i ngs andPl ast i cs " 1948, 33. 5 mi ns, col or
Li ght Ref l ect i ons , 1948, 14 mi ns, col or , sound by Edwar d
Mul l er
Ref l ect i ons No. 3 " 1949, 7. 25 mi ns, col or
Ref l ect i ons, Mobi l es " 1949, 10 mi ns, col or
Ref l ect i on- Fl exed " 1949, 4. 5 mi ns, col or
Shadows andRef l ect i ons " 1949, 4 mi ns, col or
Pat h of Mot i on " 1950, 8 mi ns, col or
14
Publ i ci t y st i l l f or MoodCont r ast s by Mar y El l en But e, 1953
Col or and Li ght No. 1 : Pl ast i c Obj ect s, Shadows, and
Ref l ect i ons " 1950, 9 mi ns, col or
Col or andLi ght No. 2: Obj ect s and I l l umi nat i ons " 1950, 8. 5
mi ns, col or
Ref l ect i ons ( No. 11) " 1950, 6. 5 mi ns, col or
Ref l ect i ons No. 6&No. 12 " 1951, 6mi ns, col or
Ref l ect i ons No. 13 " 1951, 7. 75 mi ns, col or
Ref r act i ons No. 1 " 1951, 6. 5 mi ns, col or
Li ght Ref l ect i ons ( shor t ver si on) " 1948- 52, 6. 5 mi ns, col or
Evol ut i on No. 1 " 1953, 6. 25 mi ns, col or
Anal ogi es No. 1 " 1953, 9. 5 mi ns, col or
Li ke a Br eeze " 1954, 8. 5 mi ns, col or , si l ent
Evol ut i on " 1954, 7. 75 mi ns, col or
Wat er Ref l ect i ons " 1954, 11 mi ns, col or
Abst r act &Mi r r or ed Dances " 1956, 2. 5 mi ns, col or , w/ Ar t hur
Hal l
The Fl ow of Wat er " 1957, 9 mi ns, col or
Ener gi es* 1957, 9. 5 mi ns, col or , sound
Ref l ect i ons 1958 " 1958, 9. 5 mi ns, col or
Asht r ay &Wat er Ref r act i ons- Pr i sm" 1959, 7. 5 mi ns, col or
I mpul ses " 1959, 9. 25 mi ns, col or
Deat h &Tr ansf i gur at i on " 1961, 9. 5 mi ns, col or
Pr i smRef l ect i ons Fl exed " 1961, 5 mi ns, col or
Fat homl ess " 1964, 11 mi ns, col or
Pr i smat i c Var i at i ons " 1965, 11 mi ns, col or ;
Phant asmagor i a " 1965, 10 mi ns, col or
Ref l ect i ons* 1965, 10. 5 mi ns, col or
Tr ansf or mat i on " 1966, 10 mi ns, col or
Fi gur e &Shadows " 1972, 10. 5 mi ns, col or
Oskar Fi schi nger
( b. 1900 - d. 1967)
Wax Exper i ment s ( f r agment s) *Ger many, 1921- 23, 6mi ns,
35mm, bw, si l ent
Or gel st abe/ St af f s ( f r agment s) " Ger many, 1923- 27, 35mm, bw,
si l ent
Spi r al s " Ger many, 1926, 4 mi ns, 35mm, bw, si l ent
R- 1, Ei n For mspi el von Oskar Fi schi nger ( f r agment s)
" Ger many, c . 1927, 7 mi ns, 35mm, col or t i nt ed, si l ent
Seel i scheKonst r ukt i onen/ Spi r i t ual Const r uct i ons " Ger many,
c. 1927, 10 mi ns, 35mm, bw, si l ent
St udy No. 6" Musi c : f andango "Los Ver der ones" by J aci nt o
Guer r er o, Ger many, 1930, 2 mms, 35mm, bw
St udy No. 7 " Musi c: Br ahm' s "Hungar i an Dance No. 5,
"Ger many, 1931, 3 mi ns, 35mm, bw
St udy No. 8( unf i ni shed) " Musi c : Dukas"' Sor cer er ' sAppr ent i ce, "
Ger many, 1931, 4mi ns, 35mm, bw
St udy No. 12 " Musi c: Tor ch Dancef r omRubenst ei n' s "Br i de of
Cor ni t h, " 1932, 4 mi ns, 35mm, bw
Kr i ese/ Ci r cl es " Musi c : Wagner ' s "Tannhauser " and Gr i eg' s
"Hundi gung' s Mar ch f r omSi gur dJ or al f ar , Ger many, 1933, 3mi ns,
35mm, col or
Komposi t i on i n Bl au/ Composi t i on I n Bl ue " Musi c : Ni col ai ' s
"Mer r y Wi ves of Wi ndsor Over t ur e, " Ger many, 1935, 4 mi ns,
35mm, col or
Al l egr et t o " Musi c: Ral ph Rai nger , 1936/ 43, 3 mi ns, 35mm, col or
An Opt i cal Poem" 1937, 6mi ns, 35mm, col or
An Amer i can Mar ch " Musi c : J ohn Sousa, 1940, 1940, 3 mi ns, 35mm,
col or
Radi o Dynami cs " 1941- 43, 4 mi ns, 35mm, col or , si l ent
Mot i on Pai nt i ng No. 1 " Musi c : J . S. Bach' s "Br andenbur g
Concer t o, " 1947, 11 mi ns, 16mmf r om35mmor i gi nal , col or
Dwi nel l Gr ant
( b. 1912 - d. 1991)
Composi t i on No. 1, Themes " 1940, 4 mi ns, col or , si l ent
Composi t i on No. 2, Cont r at hemi s " 1941, 4. 5 mi ns, col or , si l ent
Abst r act Exper i ment s* 1941- 42, 8 mi ns, col or , si l ent
Composi t i on No. 3, Spel ean Dance" 1942, 2. 25mi ns, bw, si l ent
Col or Sequence " 1943, 3 mi ns, col or , si l ent
3- DComposi t i on No. 1 i n 6Maj or , Thr eeThemes I n Var i at i on
" 1945, 5. 5 mi ns, bw, si l ent
Composi t i on No. 5, Fugue " 1949, 8 mi ns, col or , si l ent
Pepsi - Col a commer ci al s " 1960, 1 mi n, col or
Fi l moaraoh
Radi oDynami c by Oskar Fi schi nger, 1941 : Wi l l i amMori t z
Hy Hi rsh
( b . 1911 - d. 1961)
Di vert i ssement Rococo" 1951, 12 mi ns, col or
Come Cl oser " 1952, 7mi ns, col or, al so avai al bl e i n t wopri nt 3-
Dversi on
Eneri " 1953, 7mi ns, col or
Gyromorphosi s " Hol l and, 1957, 7 mi ns, col or
Aut umnSpect rum" Musi c: ModernJ azz Quart et , Hol l and, 1957,
7 mi ns, col or
Doubl e J am" 1958, 4 mi ns
Def ense d' af f i cher/ Post No Bi l l s " France, 1958- 59, 8 mi ns,
col or
Scrat chPad" France, 1960, 7 mi ns, col or
Chasse des Touches " France, 1959, 4 mi ns, col or
Decol l ages Recol l es " France, 1960, 9 mi ns
Et ude Anat omi que duPhot ographe " France, 1961
LaCoul eur de l a f orme " France, 1961, 7 mi ns, col or
Recherche " France, 1961, 8 mi ns
Franci s Lee
( b . 1913 - )
1941 - 1941, 4 mi ns, col or
Le Bi j ou" 1943, 7 mi ns, col or
I dyl l " 1947, 9 mi ns, col or
Sumi - e " 1976, 8 mi ns, bw
Ch' an" 1983, 7mi ns, bw
LenLye
( b . 1901 - d. 1980)
Tusal ava " Great Bri t ai n, 1929, 9 mi ns, 35mm, bw, si l ent
Experi ment al Ani mat i on( Peanut Vendor) " Musi c: "Peanut
Vendor" by RedNi chol s and hi s Fi ve Penni es, Great Bri t ai n, 1934,
3 mi ns, 35mm, bw
ACol our Box" Musi c: "La Bel l e Creol e" by DonBaret t o andhi s
Orchest ra, Great Bri t ai n, 1935, 3 mi ns, 35mm, col or
Kal ei doscope " Musi c: "Bi gui ne d' Amour" by Don Baret t o and
hi s CubanOrchest ra, Great Bri t ai n, 1935, 4 mi ns, 35mm, col or
Rai nbowDance " Musi c: "Tony' s Wi f e" by Ri co' s Creol e Band,
Great Bri t ai n, 1936, 5 mi ns, 35mm, col or
Trade Tat t oo ( I n Tune wi t h I ndust ry) e Musi c: LecuonaBand,
Great Bri t ai n, 1937, 5 mi ns, 35mm, col or, sound
Ful l Fat homFi ve " Great Bri t ai n, 1937, 9 mi ns, 35mm, col or
Col our Fl i ght " Musi c: "Honol ul uBl ues" by RedNi chol s andhi s
Fi ve Penni es, Great Bri t ai n, 1938, 4 mi ns, 35mm, col or
Swi ngi ng t he Lambet h Wal k ( of t en conf used wi t h Charl es
Ri dl ey' s The Panzer Bal l et ) " Musi c: "Lambet h Wal k, " Great
Bri t ai n, 1939, 4 mi ns, 35mm, col or
Musi cal Post er No. 1 " Musi c: Bri t i shj azz groups i ncl udi ng "Bugl e
Cal l Rag, " Great Bri t ai n, 1940, 3 mi ns, 35mm, col or
Col or Cry " Musi c: `The Fox Chase" by Sonny Terry, 1952, 3
mi ns, col or
Rhyt hm" Musi c: Af ri can musi c of t he Zeet zeekt ul a and Zi nki l
t ri bes, 1957, 1 mi n, bw
Free Radi cal s ( f i rst versi on) " 1958, 5 mi ns, bw, sound, musi c
by Bagi rmi Tri be of Af ri ca;
Free Radi cal s ( revi sed versi on) " Musi c: Bagi rmi Tri be of Af ri ca,
1979, 4 mi ns, bw
Part i cl es i n Space " Musi c: St ormKi ng and Twi st er by Lye' s
ki net i c scul pt ures, al so, "J umpi ng Dance Drums" by t he
Bahamans anddrummusi cbyt he Yorbaof Ni geri a, 1979, 1979, 4 mi ns,
bw
Tal Farl ow " Compl et ed by St even J ones " Musi c: "Rock and
Rye" byTal Farl ow, USA/ NewZeal and, 1980, 2 mi ns, bw
Pat ri ci aMarx
( b .
?? - d. ??)
Obmaru" Musi c: Kaye Dunham, 1953, 4 mi ns, col or
Thi ngs t o Come " Musi c: Di zzy Gi l l espi e, 1954, 3 mi ns, col or
NormanMcLaren
( b. 1914 - d. 1987)
Col or Cockt ai l " Great Bri t ai n, 1935
Scherzo" Musi c: synt het i c pai nt ed sound, 1939, 2 mi ns, 35mm,
and Bi bl i oara
Bi bl i ography
St an Brakhage, Met aphors on Vi si on, NewYork, 1963
Wyst anCurnowand Roger Horrocks, ed. , Fi gures of Mot i on: Len
Lye/ Sel ect ed Wri t i ngs, Oxf ord, 1984
Davi d Curt i s, Experi ment al Ci nema, AFi f t y- Year Evol ut i on, New
York, 1971
St ephen Dwoski n, Fi l mI s : The I nt ernat i onal Free Ci nema,
Woodst ock, 1975
Fi l mas Fi l m: Formal Experi ment i n Fi l m, 1910- 1975, London,
1979
Robert A. Hal l er, ed. , J i mDavi s: The Fl owof Energy, NewYork,
1992
J an- Chri st opher Horak, ed. , Lovers of Ci nema: The Fi rst
Ameri canFi l mAvant - Garde, 1919- 1945, Madi son, 1995 ( i n press)
Roger Horrocks, LenLye: APersonal Myt hol ogy, Aukl and Ci t y
Art Gal l ery, 1980
Lewi s J acobs, The Ri se of Ameri canFi l m: ACri t i cal Hi st ory, New
York, 1968
Adri an B. Kl ei n, Col ouredLi ght : AnArt Medi um, London, 1937
St andi sh D. Lawder, The Cubi st Ci nema, NewYork, 1975
Mal col mLe Gri ce, Abst ract Fi l mandBeyond, Cambri dge, MA,
1977
Roger Manvel l , ed. , Experi ment i n t he Fi l m, London, 1949
J onas Mekas, Movi e J ournal : The Ri se of t he NewAmeri can
Ci nema, 1959- 71, NewYork, 1972
Annet t e Mi chel son, ed. , NewForms i n Fi l ms, Mont reux, 1974
col or
Loops " Musi c: synt het i c pai nt ed sound, 1939, 3 mi ns, 35mm,
col or
Dot s " Musi c: synt het i c pai nt ed sound, 1939, 3 mi ns, 35mm,
col or
Spook Sport " 1939, see Mary El l en But e f i l mography
St ars and St ri pes " Musi c: "St ars andSt ri pes, " 1941, 3 mi ns,
35mm, col or
Begone Dul l Care " Musi c: Oscar Pet erson, Canada, 1949, 8
mi ns, 35mm, col or
Around I s Around " Canada, 1951, 3- D, 35mm, col or
Li nes- Vert i cal - Di rect edbyNormanMcLaren&Evel yn Lambart
" Musi c: Mauri ce Bl ackburn, Canada, 1960, 1960, 6 mi ns, 35mm, col or
Mosai c e Di rect ed by Norman McLaren&Evel yn Lambart
*Canada, 1965, 5. 5 mi ns, col or
Spheres " Di rect ed by Norman McLaren&Rene J odoi n " Musi c:
Gl ennGoul d, Canada, 1969, 7. 5 mi ns, 35mm, col or
Synchromy " Musi c: synt het i c sound, Canada, 1971, 9 mi ns,
35mm, col or
Dudl ey Murphy
( b . 1897 - d. 1968)
TheSoul of t he Cypress ( vi sual symphony) " Musi c: Debussy' s
"Af t ernoon of aFaun, " 1920, 35mm, bw, si l ent
Aphrodi t e ( vi sual symphony) " 1920, 35mm, bw
Anywhere Out of t he Worl d ( vi sual symphony) " 1920, 35mm,
bw
The Wayof Love ( vi sual symphony) " 1921, 35mm, bw
TheRomance of t he Whi t e Chrysant hemum( vi sual symphony)
" Musi c: Beet hoven' s "Moonl i ght Sonat a, " 1921, 35mm, bw
Danse Macabre ( Dance of Deat h) ( vi sual symphony) " Musi c:
Sai nt - Sat i ns' "Danse Macabre, " 1921, 5 mi ns, 35mm, bw, si l ent
Bal l et Mecani que " Di rect ed byDudl ey Murphy&FernandLeger
wi t huncredi t ed assi st ance byManRay" Musi c: GeorgeAnt hei l ' s
"Bal l et Mecani que, " France, 1924, 19 mi ns, 35mm, bw, si l ent
St . Loui s Bl ues " Wi t h Bessi e Smi t h, I sabel Washi ngt on,
RosamondJ ohnson, 1928, 15 mi ns, 35mm, bw
Bl ack andTan( Bl ack andTanFant asy) " Wi t h Duke El l i ngt on
andhi s Cot t on Cl ub Orchest ra, 1929, 19 mi ns, 35mm, bw
Ten "soundi es" ( j uke box f i l ms) " 1941
ManRay
( b . 1890 - d. 1976)
Le Ret our al a rai son/ Ret urnt oReason " France, 1923, 3 mi ns,
35mm, bw, si l ent
AQuoi revent l es j eunes f i l ms/ What DoYoung Fi l ms Dream
About ? " Di rect ed byManRay&Henri Chomet t e, France, 1924,
35mm, bw, si l ent
Bal l et Mecani que " 1924, see Dudl ey Murphyf i l mography
Emak Baki a" France, 1926, 18 mi ns, 35mm, bw, si l ent
Paul Shari t s
( b . 1943 - d. 1993)
RayGunVi rus " 1966, 14 mi ns, col or
Razor Bl ades " 1965- 68, 25 mi ns, 2 proj ect or, col or
T, O, U, C, H, I , N, G" 1968, 12 mi ns, col or
S: TREAM: S: S: ECTI ON: S: ECTI ON: S: S: ECTI ONED" 1968- 71,
42 mi ns, col or
Axi omat i c Granul ari t y* 1972- 73, 20 mi ns, col or
Decl arat i ve Mode " 1976- 77, 39 mi ns, col or
Synchronoussoundt racks " 1973- 74, l ocat i onal i nst al l at i on,
col or
Shut t er I nt erf ace " 1975, l ocat i onal i nst al l at i on, col or
DreamDi spl acement * 1976, l ocat i onal i nst al l at i on, col or
Harry Everet t Smi t h
( b . 1923 - d. 1991)
Fi l mNo. 1 ( A St range Dream) " Musi c: Di zzy Gi l l espi e' s
"Mant eca, " 1946, 2: 20 mi ns, 35mm, col or, si l ent
Fi l mNo. 2 ( Message Fromt he Sun) " 1946- 48, 2: 15 mi ns,
15
h
Shel don Renan, AnI nt roduct i on t o t he Ameri can Underground
Fi l m, NewYork, 1967
Robert Russet t andCeci l e St arr, Experi ment al Ani mat i on, Ori gi ns
of aNewArt , NewYork, 1976
Raul Rui z, The Poet i cs of Ci nema, Pari s, 1995
Donal d Schi er, Loui s Bert randCast el : Ant i - Newt oni an Sci ent i st ,
Cedar Rapi ds, 1941
Mari l yn Si nger, ed. , AHi st oryof t he Ameri canAvant - Garde, New
York, 1976
P. Adams Si t ney, Vi si onary Fi l m: The Ameri can Avant - Garde,
1943- 1978, NewYork, 1979
Frank St auf f acher, ed. , Art i n Ci nema: ASymposi umon
Avant garde Fi l m, SanFranci sco, 1947
Donna M. St ei n, Thomas Wi l f red: Lumi a, ARet rospect i ve,
Corcoran Gal l eryof Art , 1971
Mauri ce Tuchman, ed. , The Spi ri t ual i n Art : Abst ract Pai nt i ng
1890- 1985, Los Angel es Count y Museumof Art , 1986
Maureen Cheryn Turi n, Abst ract i on i n Avant - Garde Fi l ms, Ann
Arbor, 1985
Parker Tyl er, UndergroundFi l m: ACri t i cal Hi st ory, NewYork, 1969
Wi l l i amC. Wees, Li ght Movi ng i n Ti me: St udi es i n t he Vi sual
Aest het i cs of Avant - Garde Fi l ms, Berkel ey, 1992
J ohnWhi t ney, Di gi t al Harmony. Ont he Compl ement ari l yof Musi c
and Vi sual Art , Pet erborough, NH, 1980
Gene Youngbl ood, Expanded Ci nema, NewYork, 1970
35mm, col or, si l ent
Fi l mNo. 3 ( I nt erwoven) " Musi c: Di zzy Gi l l espi e' s "Guarachi
Gurao, " 1947- 49, 3: 20 mi ns, 35mm, col or, si l ent
Fi l mNo. 4 ( Fast Track) " 1947, 2: 16 mi ns, bw
Fi l mNo. 5, Ci rcul ar Tensi ons, Homage t oOskar Fi schi nger
1950, 2: 30 mi ns, col or
Fi l mNo. 6 " 1948- 51, 1 . 5 mi ns, , 3- D, col or
Fi l mNo. 7( Col or St udy) " 1952, 5: 25 mi ns, col or
Earl yAbst ract i ons ( Fi l ms No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10) - Musi c: The
Beat l es, 1939- 56, 23 mi ns, col or
Fi l mNo. 10, Mi rror Ani mat i ons " 1957; 1962- 76, 3: 35 mi ns,
col or, si l ent
Fi l mNo. 11, Mi rror Ani mat i ons " 1957; 1962- 76, 8 mi ns, col or,
si l ent
Fi l mNo. 12, Heaven and Eart h Magi c Feat ure " 1959- 61, 66
mi ns, bw
Fi l mNo. 14, Lat e Superi mposi t i ons " 1964, 31 mi ns, col or
Fi l mNo. 16, Oz, TheTi nWoodman' s Dream" 1967, 14. 5 mi ns,
35mm, col or, si l ent
Fi l mNo. 18, Mahagonny" 1970- 80, 141 mi ns, 4- screenprocess
16mm, col or
Denver Sut t on
( b . 193? - d. ??)
Abst ract i ons 2&4" 1956, 3 mi ns, col or
J ames Si bl ey Wat son, J r.
( b . 1894 - d. 1982)
Mel vi l l e Webber
( b . 1895 - d. 1947)
The Fal l of t he House of Usher " Di rect ed by J ames Si bl ey
Wat son, J r. &Mel vi l l e Webber " Wi t hHi l degarde Wat son, Herbert
St ern, Mel vi l l e Webber, Fri edri ch Haak, Dort heaHouse " Musi c:
Al ec Wi l der 1927- 28, 15 mi ns, 35mm, bw
Lot i n Sodom" Di rect edby J ames Si bl ey Wat son, J r. &Mel vi l l e
Webber " Wi t h Hi l degarde Wat son, Lewi s Whi t beck, Fri edri ch
Haak, Dort heaHouse " Musi c: Loui s Si egel , 1929- 1932, 27mi ns,
35mm, bw
Rhyt hmi n Li ght " 1934, see Mary El l en But e f i l mography
J ames Whi t ney
( b. 1921 - d. 1982)
24 Vari at i ons on aTheme" Di rect ed byJ ames &J ohn Whi t ney,
1939- 40, 5 mi ns, 8mm, col or, si l ent
3 Unt i t l ed Fi l ms " Di rect ed byJ ames &J ohnWhi t ney, 1940- 42,
15 mi ns, 8mm, col or, si l ent
Vari at i ons on a Ci rcl e " 1941- 42, 9 mi ns, 8mm, col or, si l ent
Fi l mExerci ses No. 2 &3 " 1943- 44, 3 mi ns, col or
Fi l mExerci ses No. 4 " 1944, 8 mi ns, col or
Yant ra- 1950- 57, 8 mi ns, col or
Hi ghVol t age " 1957, 3 mi ns, col or
Lapi s " 1963- 66, 10 mi ns, col or
Dwi j a" 1974, 29 mi ns, col or, si l ent
WuMi ng " 1977, 17 mi ns, col or, si l ent
Kang J i ng Xi ang " 1982, 13 mi ns, col or, si l ent
J ohnWhi t ney
( b . 1917 - d. 1995)
Unt i t l ed f i l mof Lunar Ecl i spe " 1939, 5 mi ns, 8mm, col or, si l ent
24 Vari at i ons on a Theme " 1939- 40, see J ames Whi t ney
f i l mography
3 Unt i t l ed Fi l ms " see J ames Whi t neyf i l mography
Fi l mExerci se No. 1 " 1943, 5 mi ns, col or
Fi l mExerci ses No. 5 " 1944, 5 mi ns, col or
Hot House " 1949, 3 mi ns, 35mm, col or
Mozart Rondo" 1949, 3 mi ns, 35mm, col or
Cel ery St al ks at Mi dni ght * 1952, 3 mi ns, 35mm, col or
Bl ues Pat t ern* 1955, 3 mi ns, 35mm, col or
Cat al og " Musi c: Ornet t e Col eman, 1961, 7mi ns, col or
Permut at i ons " Musi c by Bal achandra, 1968, 8 mi ns, col or
Osaka 1- 2- 3 " 1970, 3 mi ns, bw
Mat ri x I - Musi c: Ant oni oSol er, 1971, 6 mi ns, col or
Arabesque " Musi c: Manoocheher Sadeghi , 1975, 7mi ns, col or
MoonDrum" 1991, 30 mi ns, col or, vi deo