Harry Smith - Early Abstractions (MPEG-4)
 

 

Harry Smith (1923-1991) was an artist and archivist whose revolutionary animation challenged traditional filmmaking. Applying a variety of iconoclastic techniques to the creation of each film, Smith would use batik, collage, or optical printing to create a tumult of shapes and images that integrates chaos with control.


Early Abstractions is comprised of six films that vary in length from 2 to 5-1/2 minutes. The works were produced over a 7-year period from 1946 to 1952. As Jonas Mekas of Anthology Film Archives has said, "You can watch them for pure color enjoyment; you can watch them for motion—Harry Smith's films never stop moving; or you can watch them for hidden symbolic meanings, alchemic signs. There are more levels in Harry Smith's work than in any other film animator I know." Inspired by Native American cultures, jazz, the Kabbala, and surrealism, Smith assembled his own cinematic universe of shape, color, light, and time.


Early Abstractions reveals the whimsical, mystical side of experimental animation. To create No: 2 Message From the Sun, a film that Smith said "takes place either inside the sun or in Zurich, Switzerland," the artist applied round, removable stickers to the filmstock, painted the film, and then coated the surface with Vaseline. When the stickers were removed, the circles remained in outline and another layer of paint was applied. Thus as the film is projected, the circles' rhythmic patterns seem to travel and grow in intensity through the layering and merging of colors. [FILM PRESERVATION]
http://awkwardist.blogspot.com/

1) Always wanted to see this. Thank you.

2) sarramkrop has exceeded their stored private messages quota and can not accept further messages until they clear some space.

3) In regards to the PM you sent me about the Toshio Matsumoto films: Awesome! I noticed they also have streaming video of those on Ubuweb (http://www.ubu.com/film/matsumoto.html) featuring a fairly extensive interview. I spent a pretty a large portion of my time at university reading about this sort of stuff (I majored in Japanese language and culture with an emphasis towards literature and film), but I've never actually seen any of it. Quite interested to see the Donald Richie films as well. This internet thing can get overwhelming at times!

4) You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to sarramkrop again.

Yeah, that blog with the Matsumoto films looks ace. I saw most of them via ubuweb. You can download them from ubuweb as well if you faff about a bit. They are ace. Song of Stone totally blew me away when I saw it...one of the best things I'd seen for a loooong while. Sure, it's nothing that revelatory if you've seen La Jetee but it's just done so well. Better than La Jette I think.