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Posts Tagged ‘Lewis Klahr’

NYFF 2011: Views from the Avant Garde Day 3: JOHN ZORN: A FILM IN 15 SCENES

Posted in Experimental film, Experimental video, NYFF 11 Views from the Avant Garde, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on October 20, 2011 | 1 Comment »

15 scenes: 254 shots Gobolux, U.S., 2011, 15m
Well Then There Now Lewis Klahr, U.S., 2011, 19m 30s
Bare Room Joey Izzo, U.S., 2011, 31m 33s
arcana Henry Hills, U.S./Austria, 2011, 33m

Premise: 4 filmmakers are provides with a script made up of 254 shots in 15 scenes by Mr Zorn.

It was interesting to see the developing similarities between the images selected to make the shot list from each of the artists as the films progressed through the program. Having seen some of Mr Klhar’s work before, you can almost feel where the rules overtook his natural artistic impulse – scavenger hunt of sorts. And while there was some interesting assemblages the real value was in the exercise rather than the output. There should be more collaborations like this. I would hope that Mr Zorn would publish the full shot list so others can play along.

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NYFF Views from the Avant Garde Day 3: Séance

Posted in Reading, Thinking, Watching, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 9, 2010 |

Séance

bust chance Stephanie Barber, USA, 2010, 7m.
The third consecutive Barber piece in the program and clocking only seven minutes bust chance didn’t have me checking my watch. This was a smart use of someone else’s footage and added manipulated audience reaction soundtrack. If I put aside “razor’s edge” Ms. Barber is one of my favorite artists to discover here and one that I will seek out seeing more of.

Love Rose Bobby Abate, USA, 2010, 13.7m.
Old TV tube cameras created a “look” however it was very clean and had little of the aging video artifacts that I was anticipating. Strong narrative elements and performance by Mr. Abate.

Kindless Villain Janie Geiser, USA, 2010, 5m.
One of my disappointments was that I didn’t have enough time to do research on all of the artists in the festival. If I had done that research I would have put Ms. Geiser contribution at the top of the list of things I was looking forward to see. One of two pieces by Ms. Geisler on this program, I found myself immediately wanting to see it again.

So Sure of Nowhere Buying Times to Come David Gatten, USA, 2010, 9m.
Although beautifully captured there were moments where I felt the elements were too composed/constructed and not just “found” like you would see in an ESPN documentary.

April Snow Lewis Klahr, USA, 2010, 10m.
What happens when one of your favorite artists at the festival, uses one of your favorite songs by one of your favorite recording artists. When the needle dropped on Springsteen’s “Racing in the street” I felt uncomfortable like two old girl friends meeting. I also wasn’t sure that it was the best counterpoint to the other song – I closed my eyes and listened to Bruce. Sorry Lewis …..

Facts Told at Retail (after Henry James) Erin Espelie, USA, 2010, 7m.
I felt this Ms. Espeile piece was more accessible to me. I am also interested in her use of literature as a starting point for her work. More Googling to be done.

Ghost Algebra Janie Geiser, USA, 2009 7.5m.
I need an evening of Janie Geiser. If she had a DVD I would order it from NetFlix and never send it back. Although that would mean sending back Greenaway’s “The Falls”.

Tokyo-Ebisu Tomonari Nishikawa, Japan, 2010, 5m.
Mr. Nishikawa should turn his lens on the 53rd St and Lexington E Train platform. I could use some perspective.

Possessed Fred Worden, USA, 2010, 8m.
I felt that this was the best re-imagining of existing imagery in the program and right up there with Jacobs “a loft’ for tight rythmic editing.

These Hammers Don’t Hurt Us Michael Robinson, USA, 2010, 13m.
I left the theater before seeing this. Apologies to Mr Robinson.

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NYFF Views from the Avant Garde Day 2: Mirror of Shadow and Cinders

Posted in Multimedia, Reading, Thinking, Watching, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 3, 2010 | 1 Comment »

I neglected to mention yesterday that Mark McElhatten did a great job of hosting the marathon of first day screenings. Today one less screening but 6-7 times more artists/filmmakers for Marc and Gavin Smith to wrangle.

Mirror of Shadow and Cinders

SHU (Blue Hour Lullaby) Philipp Lachenmann, Germany, 2008, 12m.
The most eerie falling of night I have seen since 9/11. SHU’s slow aerial invasion of lights from air traffic made visible by the creeping of darkness. Or maybe an alien encounter? Lachenmann’s near perfect. One of the few pieces that needed no program notes.

Photofinish Figures (Il finish delle figure) Paolo Gioli, Italy, 2009, 9.12m.
Paolo Gioli’s use of photographic stills and overlays in Photofinish Figures is an interesting counter point the the Ken Burns effect or even Chris Marker’s use of stills in La Jette. In this piece I felt some of the impact of the approach wears off after a few minutes or when portraits are not the main subject of the photos. I’d like to see this again again on DVD to break it down a bit more.

A Thousand Julys Lewis Klahr, USA, 2010, 6.30m.
A Thousand Julys is the first of three works to be shown here in 2010 by Lewis Klahr. Klahr is one of the artists I was looking forward to seeing here and I got a chance to talk briefly to him. This work is more poetic, less narrative than the limited number of pieces I have seen before. It works well on the big screen.

Destination Finale Philip Widmann, Germany, 2008, 9m.
Thrift shop movie is clever in an Antiques Roadshow kind of way. It may have been more interesting to note France’s colonial influence on Vietnam and Indo-China rather than the when the 1st US Marines were deployed. They were flying Air France !!!!

Valleys of Fear Erin Espelie, USA, 2010, 22m.
Valleys of Fear was too dense for me to follow. Parts of it were beautiful visually. Another piece I’d rather watch more closely on DVD.

The Soul of Things Dominic Angerame, USA, 2010, 15m.
I couldn’t hear well enough from where I was sitting but I thought Dominic Angerame said he didn’t have time to compete the soundtrack for The Soul of Things and therefore it was silent. Would like to revisit this one, maybe even on a smaller more intimate screen.

Marie Karen Yasinsky, USA, 2010, 6m.
Skip to the part where a pack wolves tear another wolf apart.

Dissonant Manon de Boer, Netherlands/Belgium, 2010, 11m.
A film about changing the film cartridge while sound still records.

Ape of Nature Peggy Ahwesh, USA, 2010, 24m
I had seen parts a few of Ms. Ahwesh’s works on the web and was looking forward to this. Perhaps the two channel effect in a gallery setting would enhance this piece. I found it difficult to watch head on. In a gallery you could forgive the performances/acting and look at something else.

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