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Posts Tagged ‘Views from the Avant Garde’

NYFF 2011: Views from the Avant Garde Day 3: JEROME HILER & NATHANIEL DORSKY

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

I was glad that this program allowed extended time with both Mr Hiler and Mr Dorsky. Coming in to this afternoon’s screening my own tastes limited my appreciation for work like this. However getting to understand the film makers as people and artists allowed me another way of approaching the work. Mr Hiler’s simple enjoyment of movie making and the articulate and accessible Mr Dorsky made me fans of these artists. I will need to spend more time with their work and Mr. Dorsky’s book “Devotional Cinema”.

Words of Mercury, Jerome Hiler, U.S., 2011, 25m

The Return, Nathaniel Dorsky, U.S., 2011, 27m

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NYFF 2011: Views from the Avant Garde Day 2: LOOKING THROUGH A GLASS ONION

Posted in Experimental film, Experimental video, NYFF 11 Views from the Avant Garde, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 14, 2011 |

In the comments prior to screening Mr. McEllhatten discussed reviewing some of these as works “in progress” during the selection process and giving the impression that some still may be less than “done” evolving. Added to this screening was a rough mix of film/video changes that needed start/stop/restart. a reminder of the experimental nature of the program and that a state of the art facility can succumb to the human touch.

This also makes 42 works in the last four screenings, so I hope the artists and curators appreciate that at this point the program elements start to blur and my notes may need some further review.

Passage Upon the Plume, Fern Silva, U.S., 2011, 6m 46s
Problems with projecting this moved it to the end of the screening session. Mr. Silva’s contribution was more of sketch of work that fell out of another project. I appreciated the idea of the fragment of film, taken as is.

Shayne’s Rectangle, Dani Leventhal, U.S., 2011, 5m 4s
This will be the third piece of Ms. Leventahl to screened as part of the 4 day program and the 5th work of hers I have seen over the two festivals 10 and 11. I am ready to spend time for a deeper dive in to more of her work.

Line Describing Your Mom, Michael Robinson, U.S., 2011, 5m 50s
I struggled with this one.

from Jhana and the Rats of James Olds: Stephanie Barber
Tatum’s Ghost, 3m 45s

A mash-up of YouTube comments and an episode of Unsolved Mysteries provides an unlikely combination of hi and low brow interactions – a document or indcitment of UGC culture?

The Death of the Gorilla, Peter Mays, U.S., 1966, 16m (new restoration by the Academy Film Archive)
The most complex visually of the films on this program. Blown away that this was done all in camera. An early counterpoint to TV culture as expressed in Ms. Barber’s Tatum’s Ghost.

By foot-candle light, Mary Helena Clark, U.S., 2011, 9m
I was glad to be able to find this online at Vimeo as I have lost my last page of notes for this program and my memory of this was thin.

A Lax Riddle Unit, Laida Lertxundi, Spain, 2011, 6m
From what was said at the beginning of the session Ms. Lertxundi was one on the films described as accepted for the festival while still in progress of being made. Continuation of previous work or personal formula? Female + old song.

Sounding Glass, Sylvia Schedelbauer, Germany, 2011, 7m
Apologies to Ms. Schedelbauer, I stepped out of the theater during this video.

Gossip, Bobby Abate, U.S., 2011, 8m 19s
The Evil Eyes, Bobby Abate, U.S., 2010, 18m

With two pieces on the schedule Mr. Abate dominated this program with 27 of 89 minutes. The production effort that went into these put Mr. Abate at interesting juncture of too professional for experimental or too experimental for mainstream. Gossip was one film that will linger with me for some time. I would like to see both Love rose and Gossip in one program. The Evil Eyes brought back memories of the referenced Dark Shadows. Hope to more episodes like this from Mr. Abate.

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NYFF 2011: Views from the Avant Garde Day 2: CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

Posted in Experimental film, Experimental video, NYFF 11 Views from the Avant Garde, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 12, 2011 |

Between Gold, Jonathan Schwartz, U.S., 2011, 10m 42s
Mr. Schwatrz’s between Gold was created around (if my notes are right) a single take audio clip. One of the most haunting sounds of the festival was the dogs barking throughout this piece.

Tin Pressed, Dani Leventhal, U.S., 2011, 6m 23s
The program notes indicated that it would open with “jarring violence” and maybe that told too much. Ms. Leventhal seemed reticent to discuss her work before the audience saw it when given a chance prior to the program and she is probably right. One of the pleasures watching her work is to be surprised about where she will take us.

Fifteen an Hour, Kevin Jerome Everson, U.S., 2011, 6m
Fifteen an Hour annualized is 31,200 USD. That’s little less than double the state minimum in Florida of 7.31 USD an hour.

Tableaux Vivants, Vincent Grenier, U.S., 2011, 10m 20s
I drifted in an out of the this. Some films force you to concentrate, some films allow you to wander.

Curious Light, Charlotte Pryce, U.S., 2011, 4m 12s
I was looking forward to Ms. Pryce’s work since reading the description in the program. Turning the camera into a way of visually sculpting an object opens up the possibilities to many further discoveries and illuminations.

Forms Are Not Self-Subsistent Substances, Samantha Rebello, U.K., 2010, 22m
This came out of nowhere. Wow. Wish I could have seen this a few more times. Ms. Rebello’s work was edgy but accessible and did not feel formal or academic.

The Matter Propounded, of its Possibility or Impossibility, treated in four Parts, David Gatten, U.S., 2011, 13m
Interesting presentation. Avant-garde meets power point. Although silent, reading the text made a lot of noise in my head.

(3 more) from Jhana and the Rats of James Olds: Stephanie Barber, U.S., 2011
Miniatures, 2m
Degas, 58s
The Eclipse, 33s

Ms. Barber’s second series in the festival, were short and clever. I would like to see all the work from this project in one sitting.

ransom notes, Kelly Egan, Canada, 2011, 4m

A process film. Ms. Egan put words and letters directly on the optical soundtrack. It is the type of experimental film that is “inside the game” and given the opportunity at Views to be seen in the context of the current state of the general experimental film and video practices. Messers Smith and McElhatten do a remarkable job of sampling and organizing a wide variety of visual experiences here.

Conjuror’s Box, Kerry Laitala, U.S., 2011, 4m
I liked the images in the film and wanted to see more of the work. I will look to purchase Ms. Laitala’s work on DVD.

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NYFF 2011: Views from the Avant Garde Day 1: LADDERS AND TRACKS

Posted in Experimental film, Experimental video, NYFF 11 Views from the Avant Garde, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 10, 2011 |

Note: Scheduled to start at 845pm and running for 101 minutes I knew going in that I may have to sacrifice Mr. Grenier’s Back View and Mr. Kobland’s The Toy Sun (combined 50 minutes) at the program’s end to get home and recharge for Saturday’s viewing. Apologies to both and for also missing Ms. McInnis’ Barren.

Berlin Tracks, 18h00-20h00 Shiloh Cinquemani, U.S./Germany, 2011, 2m 7s
I was distracted by the silence. The movie is silent, why should the room be in silence. I find the silent theater always so oppressive.

(k)now (t)here, Hey–Yeun Jang, U.S., 2011, 8m 50s
An exhausting travel diary.

Subway, Angela Ferraiolo, U.S., 2011, 7m 40s
I was looking forward to Ms. Ferraiolo’s work as I am intimate with the NYC subways and photograph in the system often enough in my own practice to appreciate others view of it. The subway is a common canvas. I think of Bruce Davidson’s work which reflected a place and time for NYC. We can re-ride and re-visit those routes adding to the visual documentation. Ms. Ferraiolo’s work seems to reflect Bloomberg’s NY. It is no longer a subterranean world of dangerous surprises but a wold of administrative organization and competence. I hope she continues to work in this space an uncover more layers – all that an unlimited ride card can offer.

Village, silenced, Deborah Stratman, U.S., 2011, 4m 56s
Ms. Stratman’s piece was one of the best executed conceptual films I saw. Perhaps because of its simplicity? Maybe because it broke up a string of frenetic, sharply edited works, that my eyes and mind were overly receptive to this work. Clever.

Snakes and Ladders, Katherin McInnis, U.S., 2011, 3m
This was densely layered and well executed. It reminded me that Lindburgh is claimed to have fathered three children in Germany and to listen to Black Friday by Steely Dan when I get home. Hope to see this one again, Ms. McInnis.

Longhorn Tremolo, Scott Stark, U.S., 2010, 16m
Shown the night before the Texas – Oklahoma “Red River” rivalry – the biggest football game on the Texas schedule each year. Mr. Stark’s 16 minutes of slow, reductive movements foreshadowed the next day’s results for the Longhorn offense. “They were just out there flying to the ball, playing faster than us,” said Texas tailback Fozzy Whittaker.

Landfill 16, Jennifer Reeves, U.S., 2011, 8m 52s
Reminded me of Charles Clough’s “My Goodness” movie and how painted film and filmed paintings can occupy a uniquely similar space.

Left before viewing:
Barren, Katherin McInnis, U.S., 2010, 2m
Back View, Vincent Grenier, U.S., 2011, 17m
The Toy Sun, Ken Kobland, U.S., 2011, 33m

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NYFF 2011: Views from the Avant Garde Day 1: Ben Rivers

Posted in Experimental film, Experimental video, tagged , , , , on October 8, 2011 |

Ben Rivers seems to be the artist most likely to be associated withe the 2011 Views from the Avant-Garde. Mr. Rivers’ “Two years at sea” will be the closing feature on Monday. However I am respectfully choosing Monday night football and homework help as the close to these four days. Mr. Rivers was in attendance and took some questions from both Gavin Smith and the audience which was a welcome addition.

Sack Barrow U.K., 2011, 21m

It didn’t seem from the post film conversation that Mr. Rivers had a particular connection with the factory, he films it with an eye for detail. The images are beautiful. The worker as drone with no explored personality is mitigated by the sounds of the factory and mixed with passing sporadic drive-by hints of radio and music. The few other human touches are toxic warnings and female pin-ups. Although smoke/steam plays a part in the visual narrative I was disappointed by the use of “Smoke get in your eyes” in its entirety. It seemed a too easy an end for a complex film. Fabulous color and worth multiple viewings.

Slow Action U.K., 2010, 45m

An epic of imaginative film making with touches of humor and large doses of science fiction. It is hard to do this justice in one viewing. Some of the segments or episodes held together better than others however the overall effect was a dose of serious/non-seriousness that worked remarkably well. The images were captured with rich film/chemical/emulsion properties, the narration off-beat and sometimes wonderfully out if sync with the images and soundtrack of samples that was provided the backbone mood for each segment.

These two films were a terrific introduction to Mr Rivers recent work even if they evidently don’t represent his prior body of work of wordless, eccentric loners.

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