When I was out in California I saw William Kentridge’s Magic Flute video installation. I usually don’t have the patience for video work but it was mesmerizing, and soothing to my Stendhal Syndrome tummy. I thought about posting it here but since an integral part of the piece is the 3D structure it’s housed in it doesn’t seem to translate effectively for the internet. I found this piece instead, Wanting…And Weighing (1997), I hope you like it.
Archive for film
I Just Feel Like Sharing This
Posted in animation, Art, film, Toni Tiller, video with tags animation, Art, film, Toni Tiller, video, William Kentridge on July 8, 2010 by Toni TillerStory
Posted in Jason Gray with tags film, Jason Gray on February 19, 2010 by Jason Gray
I like photos that hint at allegory, which is what these were intended to do.
All Nikon N80 with 50mm f/1.8D lens and Kodak BW400CN film.
Friday Morning Cartoon: Marine Painter with a Death Wish
Posted in "But Is It Art?", animation, Art, comic, Tom Bennett with tags advertising, animation, Art, cartoon, commercial, film on January 22, 2010 by Tom Bennett
A Micro-Review of Avatar
Posted in Art with tags Art, avatar review, film, james cameron on January 21, 2010 by jdhastings
By “Micro-review” I mean that I am about to review approximately 1 second of the film Avatar, not that the post itself will be short.
In the single shot in question, we see a character in a mechanical robot type vehicle that has appeared throughout the movie peer in a rear view mirror at a climactic moment. This was easily my favorite moment of a very long film.
You can see in the image above the type of vehicle it was, and perhaps see the source of my delight. The domed windshield means that any mirror installed above the driver should be visible from the outside. After it appeared I spent the rest of the film trying to see if it was actually included in any further shots or if it was inserted for that shot alone as a plot device. I never did spot it again. I’m tempted to go back and rewatch the film just to see if ANY other shots in the film include a rearview mirror on that windshield.
Even if they do establish this mirror in other shots the randomness doesn’t end though. Look at this vehicle. Does it look like it will be doing much parallel parking or lane merging? Does it even have a rear window to see through? Why does it need a rearview mirror?
In this future technology is advanced enough for humans to travel to distant planets as well as interact with people’s nervous systems directly. They also make a big spectacle from the beginning of the film to show us what awesome display technology humans have. Interactive holograms and special tablets, etc.
But in their spiffy robot car, they still use rearview mirrors. My sister’s car TODAY has video cameras and a screen to watch what’s going on behind her car.
The only advancement this mirror seemed to have over a 1970s station wagon was that objects within it are NOT closer than they appear. I just wish they’d added a pair of fuzzy dice hanging from them.
I obsessed over these things more than any other part of the film. That doesn’t say much about me as a movie watcher, sure, but it is actually relevant to a greater point about the film. (Click below to read about that) Read more »
Season’s Greetings
Posted in Art, film, Tom Bennett with tags christmas, film, kitsch, martians, movie, santa claus, tom bennett youtube on December 24, 2009 by Tom Bennett
Andy Holman
Posted in 35mm, abstract, Art, St. Louis with tags Andy Holman, film, Jason Gray, St. Louis Photographer on November 5, 2009 by Jason Gray
Andy Holman is a St. Louis-based photographer, whose work has had a big impact on me. I first came across Andy’s art in an internet forum dedicated to Classic Cameras, of which I was just beginning to learn about. His photography has a very quiet, very introspective quality that instantly fascinated me. What’s more, Mr. Holman only shoots film; this, eschewing the popular trend in photography towards digital sensor cameras. This man is a master of what he does, and deserves some D’ArteBoard love.
A short interview with Andy, and some more of his photos (all are untitled, BTW), after the jump.
Saturday Early Morning Bestiality Animation
Posted in animation, Art, film, Tom Bennett with tags animation, bestiality, cartoon, film, Tom Bennett on August 29, 2009 by Tom BennettWinsor Mccay was an early animation pioneer and he was apparently experimenting with horse tranquilizers here.
Saturday Morning Cartoons
Posted in Links, Miscellaneous, Stephanie Gerolimatos with tags animation, anime, cartoon, film, Hayao miyazaki, movie, Ponyo, Spirited Away, stephg, studio ghibli, trailer, video on July 17, 2009 by ssstephgSo I went to see the new Harry Potter movie last night because I’m one of those dorks who read all the books and totally got sucked into the story (shut up, it’s really good), and was delighted to discover there’s a new Hayao Miyazaki flick COMING SOON!!! Watch the trailer for Ponyo here… due out in theaters August 14.
Here’s a clip from one of my favorite films ever, Miyazaki’s Spirited Away.
the stink spirit scene…
Arthur Lipsett
Posted in Art, film, Photography, Tom Bennett with tags Art, Arthur Lipsett, film, Tom Bennett on July 7, 2009 by Tom BennettI sheepishly admit I had vague awareness of this avant-garde filmmaker, who was a huge influence on people like Stanley Kubrick and George Lucas. He sadly committed suicide just before his fiftieth birthday.
Art World Mascots
Posted in Art, current events, events, film, Tom Bennett with tags Art, collecting, film, Herb and Dorothy, news, Tom Bennett on June 10, 2009 by Tom BennettThis film just came out: Herb and Dorothy Its playing in New York.
Herb and Dorothy Vogel were a working class couple living in a rent controlled one bedroom apartment and they spent all their money on contemporary art. The stipulation was it had to be under $100 and it had to fit in the car. Over the past 45 years they amassed a huge half-billion dollar collection they stuffed in their apartment. They eventually donated -not sold- the entire collection to the Smithsonian.
Run Pee
Posted in Miscellaneous, Stephanie Gerolimatos with tags bladder, break, Dan Florio, film, movies, pee, polyGeek, runpee, stephg, theater on June 10, 2009 by ssstephgHave you seen this site yet? It’s a super useful reference tool for movie-goers, particularly those of us with small bladders. RunPee is a website devoted to informing theater buffs which specific movie scenes are prime for pee breaks. If you’ve ever wriggled uncomfortably through the latter half of a film because you were afraid to leave the theater for fear of missing an important bit of the plot, you’ll appreciate this service and you can thank the creator, Dan Florio, aka polyGeek.
Thanks Dan!
-Steph
Spinning Kentridge
Posted in Art, Stephanie Gerolimatos with tags Art, College, film, installation, museum, Smith, steph gerolimatos, video, William Kentridge on May 11, 2009 by ssstephgFriday night we decided to take advantage of Smith College Museum‘s free admittance during Arts Night Out. As always, there’s plenty of great art to see right now at the college. Highlights for me included “Post-Mao Dreaming: Chinese Contemporary Art”, an exhibit featuring recent additions to the college’s permanent collection (up through May 31), and “What Will Come“, an installation by William Kentridge (up through December 31.) The college does allow photography of works from their permanent collection. They even allow flash! Even so, I didn’t manage to get any decent pics since my camera is crap in anything but perfect light and the flash just blows everything way out. The video feature isn’t terrible though so here’s a quick vid of the Kentridge piece.
description from the Smith website:
William Kentridge: What Will Come
April 29 – December 31, 2009
This installation features the debut of an important new addition to the SCMA collection, What Will Come (2006), a major film by the South African artist William Kentridge. One of the most innovative aspects of Kentridge’s work is his hand-drawn films. What Will Come takes its title from a Ghanaian proverb: “What will come has already come,” a sentiment reflected in the imagery of the film, which speaks to the range of conflicts that have marked modern human history. This work also displays Kentridge’s keen interest in optics. The film is projected from the ceiling onto a round metal table which bears a polished circular column in its center. The images are reflected on the surface of the column, which corrects the perspective of the drawing for the viewer. The images circumnavigate this column, changing form as they move to a haunting musical track.
Image: William Kentridge. South African, 1955-. What Will Come, 2006. Anamorphic video projection (8 minutes 40 seconds) on cold-rolled steel table. Purchased with the Janet Wright Ketcham, class of 1953, Acquisition Fund
-Steph Gerolimatos
Edward Weston’s Abstract Eye
Posted in abstract, Art, landscape, Photography, Tom Bennett with tags abstract, Art, california landscape, Edward Weston, film, Photography, Tom Bennett on March 30, 2009 by Tom Bennett
Edward Weston is one of my favorite photographers. His ability to reveal a heightened sense of design in the natural world is un-paralleled. His work speaks a singular language. Here is an entertaining and informative commentary on Weston’s west coast work by his grandson, Kim Weston.
Tom Bennett
Funny, sad “Guest of Cindy Sherman”
Posted in Art, current events, film, performance, Photography, Tom Bennett with tags Art, cindy sherman, film, movies, Photography, Tom Bennett on March 28, 2009 by Tom BennettWe went to see the documentary,“Guest of Cindy Sherman” , last night in Greenwich Village and it left me with mixed feelings. Very entertaining and maybe a little too long, it paints a great, bitter picture of the overblown downtown art scene, the biggest joke being the bloated Julian Schnabel’s performance. I’d recommend seeing it if and when it comes to your neck of the hemisphere.
Tom Bennett
“OUR CITY DREAMS” by Chiara Clemente
Posted in Stephanie Gerolimatos with tags Chiara Clemente, documentary, film, Ghada Amer, Kiki Smith, Marina Abramovic, Nancy Spero, Our City Dreams, Swoon on February 6, 2009 by ssstephgI want to see this film. *Trailer*
“Our City Dreams” is a new documentary that follows the experiences of five NYC based contemporary women artists: Nancy Spero, Marina Abramovic, Kiki Smith, Ghada Amer, and Swoon. The documentary, shot over the course of two years, was produced and directed by Chiara Clemente. Clemente has directed a slew of previous artist documentaries on such greats as painter Brice Marden, architect Frank Gehry and painter Francesco Clemente (yep, he’s her dad).
You can read more about the film, Clemente and the featured artists at the documentary ‘s website.
-Steph Gerolimatos
The animated life
Posted in animation, Art, art on paper, Drawing, film, Links, Miscellaneous, mixed media, Painting, Tom Bennett, Uncategorized with tags animation, Art, Drawing, film, Painting, Photography on January 9, 2009 by Tom BennettI rediscovered Jeff Scher again recently. His animated drawings and paintings choreographed to music are mesmerizing.
From the NY Times:
Jeff Scher is a painter who makes experimental films and an experimental filmmaker who paints. His work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art and the Hirshhorn Museum, and has been screened at the Guggenheim Museum, the Pompidou Center in Paris, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and at many film festivals around the world, including opening night at the New York Film Festival. Mr. Scher has also had two solo shows of his paintings, which have also been included in many group shows in New York galleries. Additionally, he has created commissioned work for HBO, HBO Family, PBS, the Sundance Channel and more. Mr. Scher teaches graduate courses at the School of Visual Arts and will be joining the faculty at NYU Tisch School of the Arts Kanbar Institute of Film & Television’s Animation program in the fall. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two sons.
His new films and paintings can be seen via his website above,
this is an animated film from several years ago:
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