I don't know how many museums have dedicated theatres with well
maintained projection equipment. That would be good to try to find
out. But for gallery inclusion, it sounds as if this Conner
exhibition sets a good standard that at least gives others some
reference then, as to how it should be done. It is a struggle though,
to get these things to happen -- as Steve and Adam also point out. It
still takes a Bruce Conner apparently.
Marilyn
On 5-Mar-12, at 9:29 AM, Myron Ort wrote:
Right, I see that point.
btw, One only has to read Stan's chapter on Bruce to get an idea of
the price he paid for that art world notoriety and the consequences
on his health!
In any case, the L.A. museum for that retrospective had special
darkened rooms built in the gallery where you could sit down and
watch the films. There was a nice separation in those spaces from
any other distractions. The whole retrospective had a tone of high
respect for Bruce and all his work, it was one of the best shows I
had seen that (at least) included film presentations. The usual
presentations of videos in museums have never had quite the same
impact, maybe because other people sitting there watching are as if
they were home watching tv.
Are we talking of film shows within a museum's gallery space as
opposed to museums which also have dedicated film theaters separate
but on the premises, or even something like the juxtaposition of
Pacific Film Archive with the Berkeley Museum? I am a bit out of
touch, how many major museums in the country have such theaters
with well maintained projection equipment? What is the current
state of these museum film theaters generally?
Myron Ort
On Mar 4, 2012, at 11:30 PM, marilyn brakhage wrote:
I didn't see that exhibition, unfortunately. But Bruce Conner also
had a gallery/art world history and connections for his work in
other media, aside from film. It's the people who are "only"
filmmakers who sometimes have more of a struggle with getting their
work shown as it should be.
Marilyn
On 4-Mar-12, at 6:31 PM, Myron Ort wrote:
all I know is how impressed I was with the Bruce Conner
retrospective in Los Angeles at MOCA a many few years ago. All
of his modes of working were well presented.
Bruce Conner!
Myron Ort
On Mar 4, 2012, at 6:19 PM, marilyn brakhage wrote:
Thanks for the feedback. It would be interesting to hear more on
the subject from people around at the time -- as well as the
latest experiences other people are having.
Marilyn
On 4-Mar-12, at 2:45 PM, Chuck Kleinhans wrote:
I thought Marilyn Brakhage's response to the Erika Balsom essay
was outstanding, and I hope it will be reprinted in Moving Image
Arts Journal so it circulates more directly where historians and
scholars might find it in the future.
Greybeards like me on the Frameworks listserv can easily add to
the main points Marilyn makes about Stan Brakhage per se and
about the commercial and gallery and museum art world of the time.
I vividly remember a dinner with Stan Brakhage (and others) at
the University of Oregon perhaps 20 years ago when he was
screening some of his films. The discussion got into the matter
of Turner's paintings and light, and Brakhage was quite
passionate about which museums had which paintings and had
displayed them to best advantage. The next morning I ran into
him on the main campus quadrangle, camera in hand, filming what
interested him, while he was waiting for the University Art
Museum to open.
Two points that others might be able to develop more in dialogue
with Balsom's thesis:
a. animation, particularly drawn animation, has always had a
more ambiguous relation to the traditional format/materials art
world, perhaps mostly because almost all its artists have
drawing skills and craft, which is more easily understood. Most
art schools (used to) have first year drawing course requirements.
b. there was a discussion c. 1970, and I think in Canyon
Cinemanews, about establishing the "rare value" of film and its
collectability, by making things such as unique editions of
films (such as S8mm copies that collectors could buy and
presumably view at home) or by making single unique films which
would then be sold to collectors or museums. Of course this was
also part of an art world discussion/quandary at the time when
another mass reproduceable art--photography--was entering the
art market (and museum collections).
Chuck Kleinhans
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