in the email today... >Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 10:19:30 -0400 >From: Ralph McKay <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Harry Smith: A Re-Creation > > > THE MAGICAL ANIMATIONS OF HARRY SMITH ARE RE-CREATED BY ARTIST > > M. HENRY JONES WITH LIVE SONIC BACKDROP BY ENGINE ORANGE > > > > > > E. M. Donahue/Sosinski Art presents HARRY SMITH: A RE-CREATION, a > > multi-projection visual and aural extravaganza, June 1st and 2nd on the > > Frying Pan's barge, just north of Chelsea Piers at Pier 63, on the > > Hudson River at 23rd Street. Performances start at 8:30 each night > > (door 7:30). Engine Orange will accompany the visual presentation in a > > rare improvisational performance incorporating songs from their > > forthcoming Skyhigh Records release "World War 3.0". M. Henry Jones > > promises yet another breakthrough in his ongoing Re-Creation of Smith's > > vision with the giant "Vapor Screen". > > > > A multi-projector light and sound explosion, The HARRY SMITH RE-CREATION > > tour began at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in February 1998 > > and has since appeared at prestigious venues in London, Cleveland, > > Philadelphia, Austin, Minneapolis, and once before in New York. Live > > musical collaborators have included D.J. Spooky, Daniel Johnston, and > > traditional folk artists performing music from Smith's seminal > > collection of early recordings on Smithsonian Folkways. > > > > "Smith spent 30 years creating a unique body of films, which relied on > > his own formulas and mixtures to produce fantastic images imbued with > > color, motion, rhythm, hidden symbolic meanings, and alchemic signs. As > > filmmaker-critic Jonas Mekas has described him, Harry Smith was 'one of > > the greatest magicians of cinema.' When Smith died in 1991, he left > > behind a legacy of work spanning more than six decades. While his > > paintings, writings, and some of his films live on in various > > publications, collections, and archives, his life-long work in > > multi-projected images had been reduced to inadequate descriptions by > > writers and historians relying mostly on second and third-hand > > accounts."--Walker Art > Center. > > According to Jones, "Smith was a genius. He was incredibly influential: > > every student of animation has heard of Harry Smith, every book on the > > history of animation references him. But the opportunity to view the > > films as Harry intended them to be seen is exceedingly rare." > > > > Jones met Smith in the mid 1970s. A student/mentor relationship quickly > > developed between the two, exposing Jones to Smith's laborious > > techniques and creative wizardry. During the years that followed, they > > worked closely together on a variety of multi-projection projects. It > > was during this period that Smith often lamented his difficulty in > > obtaining the diverse array of equipment needed to present his expanded > > cinema feature HEAVEN AND EARTH MAGIC. Following Smith's death, Jones > > has spent years fabricating custom-made projection devices and > > assembling visuals to realize the legendary show. Jones orchestrates > > his assembly of film projectors, hand-tinted glass slides, modified > > classic magic lanterns, stroboscopic color wheels and Smith's original > > film-frame drawings to create a long-envisioned spectacle producing > > sublime, glowing dissolves and transformations of color, space, and form > > that induce a reverie of suspended moments and cosmic disorientation. > > > > --- > > > > Ticket are $10 and sold at the door. Stroboscopic zoetropes by M. Henry > > Jones will be displayed on board the Frying Pan during the event. New > > works by Jones will be on view at Donahue/Sosinski Art in the exhibition > > "2000 Choices: Part II: Sculpture" opening June 29th. > > > > --- > > for more information contact Ronald Sosinksi at 212 226 1111. > > also see www.harrysmith.com > > > > Donahue/Sosinski Art 506 Broadway #304 New York NY 10012 > > ph 212 226 1111 fx 212 982 5579 > >
