Divination and Creativity as the Language of God

"I never did finish that sentence about the relation of Surreal- ism to my things: I assumed that something was controlling the course of action and that it was not simply arbitrary, so that by sortilege (as you know, there is a system of divination called “sortilege”) everything would come out alright." 

I was struck by Harry Smith's quote above.  Specifically his choice of the word "sortilege."  The origin of this word traces back to French from Latin, with origins rooted in magic and the casting of lots.  The Romans practiced sortilege, or cleromancy, as a means of shifting the burden of reaching some outcome through the work of human hands to that of the sheer will of God or gods.  This ancient idea is something that I am continuously drawn to in my art.  As an individual who identifies as religious (as well as an artist), I have always felt that the act of creation is in fact a direct communing with the first and penultimate Creator.  And apparently so did Harry Smith:

“My movies are made by God; I was just the medium for them.”  

This sentiment is echoed by countless artists across all of recorded history.  To these individuals, the very act of exercising their creativity brings them closer than anything else to the heart of God.  They rest wholly inside "the zone" that Stan Brakhage commented on in our first reading, finding a strange solace in the impossible, yet noble, pursuit of the Divine.  Quite a bit of what is written here about Smith, Belson, and some of the other filmmakers we have looked at this semester borders on the ramblings of drug-addled nonsense.  In fact, Hunter S. Thompson was quoted as blaming some of this exact type of sentiment on Timothy Leary's psychedelia-peddling as creating "a generation of permanent cripples, failed seekers, who never understood the essential old-mystic fallacy of the Acid Culture: the desperate assumption that somebody... or at least some force - is tending the light at the end of the tunnel."

But I find more than a grain of truth in what these filmmakers are speaking to.  A heartfelt commission to explain the unexplainable.  To communicate that which has no words.  To pull back the veil of our perception so that we can all see a bit more clearly into the realms of the infinite.  There is something to this sortilege method Smith is referencing.  I have found that God can assert his will more through art than acts of miracles in this cold, uninterested world we live in.  The beautiful minds that we have allow us to apply meaning and narrative to a variety of seemingly unassociated things.  And what is this if not simple creativity.  And what is creation if not the work of a creator.

Jordan Belson - "World" (Excerpt)

Absolute Animation

 “You shouldn’t be looking at this as a continuity. Film frames are hieroglyphs, even when they look like actuality. You should think of the individual film frame, always, as a glyph, and then you’ll understand what cinema is about.” -Harry Smith

That's a great line, I think i understand experimental films a little more now. Especially in the context of animation, it's really impressive what they accomplished back then by working frame by frame with lens-painting and such. I liked Smith's earlier works with the geometric shapes as opposed to the more free form and concrete visualizations of his later work.

In terms of Jordan Belson's work, from what i could find on the internet, it looks super cool. How did he make it? The works that i could find are very soothing, and relaxing in a way. Definitely very spiritual and meditative. Granted, i couldn't find a lot of his work, but a lot of videos i found on youtube were most likely inspired by his films.

Something that was probably influenced by Belson's colorful works was the visualizations of the early windows media player. Something like this:

Response to Film Experiments outside the Mainstream Industry

It’s always interesting to read about past innovations in art and the controversy of their time. Each of the trends described by Thompson and Bordwell seem almost a given to me in terms of films and moving images which we see today.

While reading, I tried to think of contemporary examples of works that incorporate aspects of the trends in the early days of film experimentation.

The first thing that came to mind when I read about abstract animation was an artist I recently stumbled upon on Instagram, David McLeod. Viewing Walter Ruttmann’s Lichtspiel Opus 1 furthered the connection I had in my mind between McLeod and the concept of early abstract animation. In Opus 1, different colored shapes move across the screen and in some cases seem to interact with one another. Ruttmann’s manual process is evident; one can occasionally glimpse the evidence of paint strokes, and the movement is not always fluid. Regardless, one is drawn into the abstract world that Ruttmann projects on screen.

If it were not for artists such as Ruttmann leading the way in the early 20^th century, we may not have artists such as contemporary 3D artist David McLeod, who expands upon the idea of abstract shapes in movement, but makes them three dimensional and increasingly sophisticated and refined.

https://vimeo.com/131654511

https://vimeo.com/151245965

In terms of Dada filmmaking, it was a bit more difficult for me to connect with this trend. I chose to watch Man Ray’s Retour à la raison and some of René Clair’s Entr’acte. Man Ray’s film made no sense to me and I was not sure I would consider it art. Entr’acte seemed somewhat more familiar somehow, maybe given that there were people in it and something like a narrative was suggested (even though it still made no real sense). However, I think even elements of Dadaism make their way in films today. Sometimes images with seemingly no relevance are flashed across the screen and the viewer must make sense of them. The same would apply to surrealism – we are surrounded by surrealist imagery and video all the time.

This may be a stretch but Zayn Malik's music video for "Pillowtalk" that came out recently had me considering some of these trends as I watched it. There were various shots that seemingly had no relevance to the message of the video, such as a model with studs coming out of her face (see below), two models boxing, or animations of red liquid dripping down the screen.

one wonders what the relevance of this model with studs on her face was

surrealist imagery

Image credit: Cosmopolitan

All of the trends from the early experimental films days, even those that supposedly died out like Dadaism, have an effect on the films we view today - whether they are the traditional cinematic films, music videos, YouTube videos, or animations.

Experimental Film: Outside the Mainstream

The meaning behind experimental film is not something that many in their life time will try to understand. Without readings like Bordwell and Thompson's"Film Experiments Outside the Mainstream Industry" the history, techniques, and overall culture would be lost forever. Some films may be documented in writing, but lost never to be seen again. 

Ruttman's description "moving paintings" stood out to me. The last blog post I shared a video about a Dali painting that was made into a virtual experience you can walk around in. It's without a doubt that that we have to thank these pioneers of experimental film for where we are today in art.  

Artist's have a meaning that influences the work, but as we've learned from the experiments, the process will also influence the work. The artist with passion will lose themselves in the process, but find their meaning as well.

I found an interesting first hand look at an early way to create geometric patterns in film. Combining a light with objects that reflect and stressing the direction creates gorgeous waves and shapes, 1930's.

Outside Mainstream & Film Experiments

Why is experimental film important? Experimental film making is a world all its own, and it's one that is often overlooked by the majority of the population. It's a unique and powerful art form that provides countless benefits beyond the fact that it allows us to be artists in the truest sense of the word.

In this technological era artists are finding new ways to experiment by inventing and reinventing new and old techniques. Avant-Garde was a military term that literally translate to "forward guard." It described the soldiers on horseback that led troops into battle. Avant-garde filmmakers are basically doing the same thing with art. Paving the way and creating art that is not mainstream. It is important to have these experimental film makers to push boundaries. These type of short films allow the audience to experience the world in an unfamiliar way that may shock, amaze or disturb us.

Film outside of mainstream

I think as a society we need these experimental artist who are going against mainstream. It puts things into perspective to have this order we see everyday and than these more chaotic pieces that make us think is this really order or the truth?
One of the great things about non mainstream films is that it's more personal to a individual or group. Helps express what they might not be able to say with words. Our society understand visual statements better than listening to a speech. That's why advertising is such a big deal.
It's amazing to watch how experimental film grows as our technology grows. In the reading it talked about Ruttmans "moving paintings". He would paint on glass with oil than wipe it away and draw again. I have heard a more recent New Media artist work being compared to a moving painting but his work did not even evolve paint. Some of Bill Violas work have been called "moving paintings". Less things are needed for experimental artist. Most just need a camera and a computer to get started.

Bill Viola -The Quintet of the Astonished (2000)

http://youtu.be/As7OtWMYPRc

Film Experiments Outside the Mainstream

"You can't turn film into a work of art by augmenting and exalting it with 'quality'. You can gather together the best mimes in the world, you can let them perform in the most exquisite paradise, you can adorn the programs of your film dramas with the names of the most eminent poets - art will never result that way. A work of art will result only if it is born of the possibilities  and demands of its matierials." - Walter Ruttmann

 We as an audience never quite understand the rich history of experimental film and its significance. The method of experimental is precisely why we struggle to digest what is put in front of us. The more this class goes on and the more I personally have been exposed to and delve into experimental/non-objective art, the more I see the appeal.

Ruttmann's words comes from the idea of opposing the idea of film as an art form in the sense that film is only considered art when it has substance from culture, like literature; that the art should speak for itself. It is a line of thought very much in tune with the movements of the time, like dadaism or abstract art. When applying this kind of thought to animation, it invites a very liberating feeling. I had always obsessed with making any artwork I made have some kind of substance, whether it contained subject matter that was allusions to some kind of myth or literature or that the technique was mastery. Through the methods of abstracted or experimental art, I am free to let go of those restrictions. Does that mean that I as an artist let go of all meaning or tact when I create? No, it just means that I am not trapped in a mold that I usually feel I must fit into.  Experimental art, to me, is about the experience. For the artist, it is about the journey that goes into creating the piece. For the viewer it is about the experience. I believe that even those who see no point or relevance in experimental films cannot deny that they felt an affect when they viewed a film. I realize that for all the symbolism or story I try to fit into the works I make, there is a struggle I feel because I am "augmenting" the piece with truly extraneous elements. Once again, Ruttmann is talking about film in this quote and it is not film I am interested in so much as visual images and animations, like the "moving paintings" that he and artists like Hans Richter would produce.

I stumbled across this abstract animation about three years old from animator Takashi Ohashi. It has that atmosphere in experimental/abstract animation that I admire in how minimalist forms of light on a dark background create this playful and strange symphony with a hint of a narrative.

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/shorts/kou-kou-is-fantastic-abstract-animation-from-japan-80092.html

Film Experiments Outside the Mainstream

The extent and scope of the experimentation on film leads me to believe that it is intended for a very small and specific niche of viewers. The reason being is that the main purpose of this experimentation was to go against the mainstream techniques that was present at the time. It is my understanding that mainstream techniques include a narrative structure, composition, an effort to be visually appealing, a methodological cohesiveness, and being relatable (among other things). Experimental films are everything but.

With that being said, to go against the mainstream would mean a random consortium of juxtaposition solely for the sake of being different. To go against narrative would be to make a senseless sequence of frames that mean nothing. Disregarding composition eliminates the desire to make appealing images. And without caring for visual appeal or relatability gives them free reign to do whatever they want no matter how nonsensical or jarring. I understand that they have the artistic freedom to do all this and simply create. But in that regard, since their goal is to just go against the grain, how can you determine what is "good" and of value? Going by mainstream standards, its not. But even so, there is no standard to go by since the only thing that matters would be for them to be non-mainstream.

People admire art if it is beautiful, or meaningful, or if it requires a skill, or a creativity unseen before, to say the least. The work described here in this article most likely would not be comprehended this way by most people. Which begs my question - Is their art one that is only done for their sake of expressing themselves (non-mainstream like), and if people don't get it, will they just say " oh, they just don't understand me"? I would compare the experimental films to some of today's contemporary art. The exhibits in the galleries where in the middle of the room is just a messed up bed and they added some paint. Or a mishmash of everyday found objects glued together that resembles a grade schooler's diorama. In these instances, they go against what we consider art. They go against mainstream, but does that make it good?

And to clarify, I'm not against experimental films. I think some of it is good art - within my definition of the subject. But as a whole, the mainstream has been developed because those techniques are ones that resonate with us or is naturally appealing in some way. And for experimental films, they are consciously rejecting those visual elements that are proved appealing, and going the opposite way. It should be no surprise then, if people also start feeling the opposite way (of mainstream) towards them.

Experiments Inside the Mainstream

Reading through Bordwell and Thompson's genre breakdown of early experimental film, I was struck with the thought that while there continues to be a general disdain for (or indifference to) the blatantly avant-garde in cinema, we have also grown a measured, communal tolerance of the esoteric sensibilities of experimental film in our modern mainstream cinema.

I can remember seeing Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas in the movie theater.  Likewise, I saw Lars von Trier's Antichrist on the big screen as well.  While the combined US box office gross of these two films barely crosses $11 million dollars (roughly 5% of the budget of James Cameron's Avatar), you don't have to look far to see the echo of experimental film in more mainstream media.

Abstract Animation

The opening of Walt Disney's Fantasia (1940) employs Abstract Animation to the tune of Bach's Toccata and Fugue, letting the music work in a visual method just as much as leaning on the aural aspects of the classical piece.  Alfred Hitchcock used abstract animation to highlight the disorientation inherent in his feature Vertigo (1958). And director Paul Thomas Anderson enlisted the artist Jeremy Blake to create beautiful abstract interludes for his film Punch-Drunk Love (2002).

Still from Fantasia (1940)

Surrealism

Perhaps standing as the type of experimental filmmaking most prevalent in mainstream cinema, surrealism has ties to countless aspects of modern film.  From the recent feature Under the Skin (2013) to countless other genre films and dream sequences, surrealism works its way into various mainstream outlets.  You don't need to dig deep into the catalogue of Tim Burton to find examples of surrealist tendencies.  Although the movie as a whole lacks substance, the elaborate scenes inside the mind of a serial killer in Tarsem Singh's The Cell (2000) are very interesting examples of surrealism.  Perhaps the best known surreal filmmaker widely recognized by Hollywood is David Lynch, who unabashedly wanders into the abstract in almost all of his films.

Still from The Cell (2000)

Cinema Pur

The films of Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro routinely employ the aspects emphasized by the Cinema Pur movement; rhythmic shots that border on musical and long, sweeping close-up shots of various items and faces that communicate a sense of nostalgia without the need of dialogue.  Director Michel Gondry also uses practical effects including stop-motion in his movies, much like the artists of the Cinema Pur movement.  And finally, Alejandro Inarritu utilizes Cinema Pur techniques repeatedly in his 2014 Best Picture Winning Birdman by literally inserting rhythm into the film with a free-jazz drum soundtrack throughout the whole film.

Still from Delicatessen (1991)

This just scratches the surface of the reverberations experimental filmmaking has had on mainstream media.  It's difficult to discern why our attention span for experimental film is limited to short bursts, confined to dream sequences and montages, but the existence of the impact of the experimental filmmakers we have learned about thus far this semester is undeniable.

Major Trends of Experimental Films

Major Trends of Experimental Films 

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” 
― Pablo Picasso

    After reading the text, it fascinated me on how early many of the techniques for experimental films were being used while the medium format of film itself was flourishing. While the techniques from the major trends aren’t used too much, they do provide a foundation that allows many artists to follow or even go beyond of what has been laid out. One trend that really resonates with me is Surrealism. The Surrealism section and Brakhage’s text do have something in common that’s interesting. Both texts suggest that dreams should be a guide. The way I see it is that we should take our illogical realities (dreams) and translate them into moving images.

    This is not indicating that Surrealism was the best trend compared to the others. Dada Filmmaking and Abstract Animation are others that caught my interest. While the concepts of those trends are different from Surrealism, they can still apply the idea taking dreams or visions into moving pictures. As I mentioned before not many of the techniques are being used too much in the mainstream, however, there are artists that actually perform them. Some even use those techniques on programs!  

    The other trends remind me of more modern films that seem to take note from the trends, like Mr. Nobody, and make me think of many ways on how to create videos for the projects. the options are truly endless. One thing that popped in my mind while reading was wondering on what other major trends have occurred or will occur in experimental films. One thing for sure is that in this day and age we have many software programs that allow us to perceive our hallucinations and dreams much more clearer into our world. There’s also the rise of VR systems that take things to the next level. What other trends can occur in our lifetime? Only the future will tell. 

Oil Paint on Glass Animation