Page 40 - Studio International - November 1973

of contemporary art practice. After interior, and at the same time before it had to be used as a fan, if the slightly random. Of the new foreign
describing methodologies he refers to incorporate 'a series of components door was open it destroyed the black- work I saw, that of Taka limura
examples of their use, in particular to which are aesthetic in their effect'. out, etc etc. I must condemn the interested me most. limura worked
the West London Social Resource The result was a grid of fluorescent official Art and Film organizations in mostly in New York during the
Project (also described in Studio tubes suspended between floor and London who did not understand what sixties, returning to Japan from time
International January 1973). ceiling of the two-storey-high hall, at potential this kind of film work has, to time— he is currently on a fellowship
the level of the first floor, which is nor realize the amount of interest it in Berlin. He showed one 'installation'
Systems II is the catalogue of the subject to a programmed 'light- has generated. piece, Infinity, and a complete show
exhibition held at the Polytechnic of kinetic' process using multiwave of films mostly dealing with the
Central London this autumn, a dimmers which irregularly change the Against normal, dulling British inertia, problems of durational experience in
limited number of copies are intensity of illumination of groups of the organizers, Simon Field and relationship to counting and number.
available at £0.50 from the lights, while maintaining an even David Curtis raised £2,350 for the All his recent work uses the most
Exhibition Consultant, Polytechnic of overall level of illumination. The whole festival (£1,100 from the Arts simple of means and has a great
Central London, 35 Marylebone catalogue includes a loose signed Council, £650 from the NFT and £600 elegance of concept. Except for title
Road, London NW1 5LS. The artists miniprint and has a German text by from the BFI), less than half of what sheets, there is no use of the camera,
exhibiting are substantially the Peter Kress which is accompanied by would be a reasonable figure for such relying entirely on lengths of black or
same as exhibited at the Whitechapel a parallel English translation. an ambitious exhibition. There were clear spacing (a black screen or a
Gallery last year, but less three plus Clive Phillpot 53 full length shows, representing white screen). All the marks are made
two; they are : Allen, Dilworth, some 120 film-makers about 50 of either with a fibre pen (simple
Hughes, Jones, Kidner, Law, Lowe, whom were present at the festival. numbers or crosses) or are
Saunders, Smedley, Spencer and Many of these came from abroad, but scratched into the black (plus, minus
Steele. The catalogue comprises with such a low budget, most did not and equals signs). His film One to
separate sheets held in a plastic Vision receive expenses, and in spite of an Ten, using the scratched signs,
binder, not quite the immaculate attempt at least to pay film rentals, displayed how perception can be
production which accompanied the The London Festival of Avant- even this was not always possible. All moulded by concept. By postulating
first exhibition. However there is Garde Film in all London got its 'Real-Film' negative duration — a length of black,
an introductory essay by Philip For two weeks from 20 November at festival on the cheap. say six seconds, minus a length of
Steadman in which he pursues some the NFT there will be an event white, say three seconds, equals a
contexts in which the pervasive term described as the London Film The general atmosphere here was length of black of three seconds—the
'systems' is used, and which have Festival. You should know that this excellent, there has never been an gradually emerging experience of
some relevance to the preoccupations festival is an imposter ; the real occasion on which so many film- 'backward-running' duration,
of this group of artists. Architectural London Film Festival for this year has makers have got together, and up through a long series of these visual
usage initiates and informs already taken place, during the first until now, whilst Europe has been sums was very surprising.
discussion of proportional and two weeks of September, also at the well informed about American work,
constructional systems, which leads NFT (adding to the deception) and American film-makers have been I have frequently seen shows by
to comments on the use of the the ICA. However if you are fooled in unaware of the European situation. Peter Weibel, but until now I have
mathematics of relation and structure spite of the warning ,you can be It should stimulate some new thinking never seen one where he managed to
by the artists, and analogies with forgiven. The November charade will about the more general issues, get more than a couple of pieces to
music ; then general systems theory be given all the publicity that critics like the aesthetic aspects of film, work technically. He is clearly more
is introduced and one becomes aware and commercial distributors can and the relationship of this new concerned with the idea than with the
of echoes of the position Kevin Lole muster. The N FT management culture to its social situation. Since physical realization, and even in his
describes in the paragraph above. It undoubtedly view this as the event of the establishment of the film co- show during the festival (which was
is noteworthy that another very vital their year; this contrasts with their operative movement, which began in by far the most successful I have seen)
and increasingly influential group of general lack of involvement in what New York in 1962 and spread to he was often quite satisfied when a
artists finds interest in similar areas of will be seen historically as the most Europe a bit later, there has been no piece did not work out right so long as
knowledge, outside the context of significant film festival anywhere, at major reconsideration of the general the intention had been grasped. This
art, to some of the art theoreticians, least since Knokke '67. Time-Out problems of the movement. The is a serious lack in his work, as he
though it must be said that art history (the only magazine to show interest festival staged two Forums, one on stimulates some of the most radical,
would seem to have a closer in the festival in England) asked on its the general issue of avant-garde film, philosophical questions concerning
relationship to the work of the cover in the first week 'Is underground chaired by Regina Cornwell, the film and video. His film challenging
Systems group than to the latter. The film the beginning of a new age second on distribution, chaired by the assumed conceptions of inside
constructive tradition, so recent in in cinema ?' The energy, range and Jonas Mekas. Of course, neither of the frame and outside it, which
this country, is being revealed, by scale of the present international these solved any problems, and the comprised film of a four headed
such exhibitions as this, as movement of 'experimental' film, as second was mostly an airing of film- arrow attacking the four edges of the
surprisingly widespread and securely demonstrated by September's makers complaints and gripes about picture, while the projector was
rooted. festival, provokes the answer — yes ; the handling of their films by the co- moved so that the 'screen' itself
the underground film back in the late ops and general discussion. The basic gyrated about the space, was
Some recent work by Günter Dohr fifties was the beginning of a new age co-op concept was not challenged, particularly succinct. The video pieces,
which was conceived as part of an in cinema, which has become a however, and a return to more being essentially a live interchange
architectural project would seem to considerable alternative film culture. conventional commercial distribution with the potential of the medium, as
have some affinities with the Not only is the film-making aspect of systems was not seen as a serious opposed to tape as a film substitute,
approaches of the Systems artists. the movement strong —as distinct alternative. There were no really new are most interesting. Like in my
Dohr, Licht-Zeit, Arbeiten 1965-72 is from the alienated spectator sport of ideas about the distribution problem, contribution to the field of
the catalogue of his retrospective the traditional commercial cinema — though it becomes increasingly psychoanalysis Weibel, he kneels
exhibition held at the Museum am but, even with minimal promotion and obvious that the organization of with the word 'far' on his back,
Ostwall, Dortmund, earlier this year. a September heat wave all the international tours by film-makers, is crawling towards the monitor
Dohr's early concern with kinetic screenings were well attended by an not adequately dealt with at present. calling 'nearer, nearer', whilst his
works has recently evolved into an informed and receptive audience. image on the screen, from a camera
interest in light and environmental This was particularly surprising for The forum on the avant garde was behind him, crawls deeper and deeper
works, some of these involve systems the 'expanded cinema' part of the about the problem of the political into the picture.
of coloured neon tubes isolated and show. During the preparation for the nature of avant-garde cinema, and it
set in motion in a dark room together festival, this section was shunted was obviously an issue concerning Ken Jacobs's work was disappointing.
with screens which modify their back and forth from possible location many film-makers. Much of the Tom Tom the Pipers Son is a very
luminosity; judging from the colour at the ICA, the Hayward and various confusion arises out of the fine film, and his earlier film Blond
plates this structuring of light can be other places, finally coming to rest esotericism of the films, and their lack Cobra (1962), an hour or so of
extremely seductive. A recent at the top end of the ICA — in a small, of popular appeal, though all seemed beautiful Jack Smith insanity, has the
commission for a light work in a unventilated room. The main shows agreed that mass audience appeal was sensitivity to fit totally to Jack Smith,
College of Education in Münster is began at 10.00 am — what a time —and no answer—more later. but his new film Sky Socialist was a
described and illustrated ; a lighting by 11.30, the space was like a rather banal attempt at a new
system was required which would turkish bath with movies ; there was What about the films at the festival ? narrative structure. Also his
harmonize with a fairly severe no time to read an information sheet In this format, any selection is seemingly patronizing manner when

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