FLASHING INTO THE SHADOWS The Artists Film in America 1966-76

DECEMBER 7 200D-APRIL 2001 fddgtriutt cmd film lmgrGlJn CLmIUJ by Chrimt l~s onfmimtllnr (a nuke lewcrs aWiU~ ofthIJrph)si

____ (Inc vida ~hllt lt) luslUm of-malam 1r1 ~u~rO~m cal ple $ence il the flUery space a mI to emphilsize

and - rtc l Bnryn ~ZJtSf Jtlt~kssor rllpal1lntl11 ofas hlJoshy th~ IittJiJlI nnIUN nt the ~pace itwlf FolllJw - IllS

ry 11Id rlltJirJ tII~OI) Hoducnulfor mutlIIIJI fUlU $( prtlt(dcnts the scr~lnJ O 11lt1l1Y mists fiLnutook

Rla lJn~1 I~ r ~rlt1 (ln) ~liKt m the gallery fath er than in lhe cinema Uamp

Vtrtillg both the wh ilt cubE of the gJllcry mdb(

Flas hing lmo thl Shoidows p rovides a unique darkness of tlw mod~mtst cineln~ spacf Tbe phYSlcal

c pporruni ty l O SUIVC th( brid flilulidling ofJn ists Ilnsencf and ~otlltd of the film proj~or witillu th euro

filmrrulki ng in the Umted Stnes betWltln 1966 and ~lkry funher Ullderhrwd lh l dbrKe of mlSts

197t) EmergilJg QUl orpop md Mlnil1lalism il new hlms from convfntlond dnemltl a~ wtll s from conshy

ge ncf3tion of artl51$ indll610g R o~rt Morris ventiOnAl stuJpttJ rnl prc5enri1l10nli

RichJ rd Se n WaLter de Mariltl Me l Boehnec Robrrt The visua l lllllSu who took u)I fihn during thiS S t llson Oltan Grth ltl RnlCt NlUman and Viro ppoundriod W( fC concerned with exploring splCLfic hUlcshyAccond radlcaUy fxp~nd(d l fgt b01mctmes of c(lnshy

unns Qr rroccdun~~ of lh~ mill medlum_ bUI ourside le mfgt4liuy an Adoptin m approach Ih( cMlJ1blshy the conventional cinemltl ll( COlll~L The film works s ized rrocC55 performl rne and I1DguJge rather tlun of O1ll Grhdm for c-JClmple Ill lumfed to a precise the sclfltomained objltct the) lI~ld film to crealpoundl

~ ~r o( forOloill PIn11UtJtion s onc~ th(se ha d been new hybrid IJtlhJUltlg( (hat uplored Iss lJ(s of kriolHty cxplorelt1 his inte nSl in fil m making ended BlUCC th t body splt tial pcro~pl ioJl nlnnti~ and medl Njll mans ~s ludio films add ress tht bounduy critique Tbe film th~y ~alld CJopcrJted 1f lh~ between thlt private spaCe ofth~ StllctlO and t h~~ pu bshyboundilrlt5 o f C(m ntnid and wulmiddotgm1t filmbulltS he spitee Qt the gallerv Other films such IS ltidlard wu a~ allhe mnrglns 01 moLi(lmbrn wHit its strict Serrt$ Fntm Rolcn Monis llou ~t(o-jcTeigtn GI$

dl15ion benveen [h e ~pItiJ1 ~nd l~mporill arts SlOlim and Michntl S110Wmiddot~ SmnJml IIII_ pl~y

Tol ~I ~t ~ film rtpre~nted1 mdical lncl k oft th e pittnomenologk1 tll~tInction ~twten th e

from the modNnisl trltldltion OperJting il5 an ilTil nl lived VP=ri~nce Of splce and the objecovl

within the n(id of co ntlmpOfolly lt 11 fitted neither persptttive o f the ltamera

Ihe l-onmiddotentiftnai category of rt nor of ~film Th~ ~Fbshing il1l o the Shadaws~ whkll bonows a

wl1rk$l)n vipw In -Flashinl inlt) the ShadOWs~ alon g pcijlic phrgte fiu m Robrn Smi1 hsons writings an with the Ol(compa nyilli fil m prop-anL repliselll thlj cinenM that yokes th e GlStng ttf ligtl r 11110 rile dark srnnge md undcrcxploreJ n~xm blNCcn the tWt) s jl]ce oflhe dn(ma ltllIditonulU JrL~ ou r th ~e SPlshydi$Ciplints ill th~ world (f ro stl1limrnal ist m lhy rial stnlctunl and critical COmlms The exhibition ll~ enablllt w to trlck th~ role pldyfi by film in va rishy IS divided iJl tlgt fou l uKmth~ong segments elch pJO ou s l11nl ltgt-~ ta(iom of PoscrnlnlmillJ$m--Ptocess jCdU1g three films as plnrlilncJlt proJcctiOI)$ In lhe Eanh Conoi(pttlitl Body and lttf(JormJnc~ art

whilc mbe of chI gaUIY sPJCf F~ch ilnl occupies

r he IOOU o f [he artist lt liJnl lie In rwo pretTpt5 o ne wllI wllh the prOjector pllt1c(d d lfe[ t ly in t he

sptlaquo and elch group 01 films deals wilh a specific

Ihemc The fi r$ grollp U tlt lod Tapologles Jnd

indudes Ricbrd S~rra 5 Ratlrnt1d TlInttrllg~ (1976t

IJin Grabun s SImser to Surmslt ( ~CJ69 lnd Robut

Murri~ Gill St1UJtl (1g6~)_ In these works fi lm is u wd

to e xamin( our visu~1 pern ption (If trlonll rt lltl lhms

u ch as horizon and ~cale hy scannln~ url~n sites

and open landsClllc through the cm~ (OM New

York City stme windoWS a gas stiII~ion in Sotll h~m

Ca lifornjl ~ railroad brid~ and he ilorizon are aU

Hlmed over tune Ihrougb1 p~n1ing l1illment Ilf rht (Uii~t PinIIdoxlcally this ~ame GUllroI mo~

menl as II faldl bad on itself undercuts the VICWshy

er s gTasll off he panoramic 1I(lle S1rra s (i lm

r(cord~ il rotuioll Dr the cLn rral ~eC1lOl1 or m iron

turnbriJge Tit bridges ~low m Olc ment dctcnnins

t he ~we(p o f the omtrs ~lrtl ( p1I1l1ing shut

rcndcling Ihe CJmer-Js frame and Ihe bridge$ strutshy

mre inrcIdtptD (01 entities MOrris doublc-scrren

Gas )tdIJhl ~lOrncs a n J rT3tiw dram] o ( t11t e~IY

day rtI11e (he lcll sc~n ~hows fixedtrnl1c

owrview nf it gal fat Ion s ~ctivitl~ the other ZI1()f1U

Into the ~c-=Ae follm~ing the ~ctiOl1sect or the pump

auclllbms a$ me) talJc (0 customcrs o1Olk un GII~

and moye in and ovt of the station Mea

The second group or films ( ill~d ~ScnltltilY

It-ntcu [hI ways III which ilrtins explored Ihe rrlluj shy

p Ies of ~rilll(y Itld rqgtftUion m bDh fiim anl ~hde

seQUllmcrs Durin(l thl 19fj(n rtpCtition tIld stgtriJllt y

beCltU11t the IlJimtry l olflgl l li~ of anists ~uch ~ Sol

UiWitl Mel Boehn(-t 00 IaWUiI llnd Andy Willhot

JiJnmng the lIam tor much Conc~ptWllart TI) 1 ( 1r1shy

~hy and repctpoundriOlt Cilmt I(~be exeQ~~lgb~fi~il~m--_ ~nd s lldt ~ ~lrI11S 1 1mr~ r inCyuolblte sIDce bQtb conmiddot

Li Itgt art otrulluntly inhNtnt [0 the media Th-eshy

mb in lhj~ SCctiOIl which ViJl 011amp0 influenced lly th( PluoLIDcmuic experimen tJI ot 1l1llCteemhshy

(cmu) pnolographe-r Eadwt ard Muybridgc C lllpha-

SlU con~pt strucmre and process c)Ver hiell1I lh lc11

composItion shifU ng the defim tion of I e work of

)rt from mastCrplc~ ro sebtma In Dan Grhuns

slide ritte HUII1~ fo Am~(O (t966-67~ a series-of

color pbOlOgrtplt1 tlfbttUdmg In NtW JLrsy an4

Sutn I~lmd-restlIlr1t1is high school coniclnr

1nd roWl of ujrt nOllstS-1re presenled in a nllnshy

hierarchicoal seltj llence in which thi idtgt~ t1f8pllct~

15 broken dqwn 1nll) S(rilS of ~eflrt~fH~ poi nts 01

lUll Is tt l inf(1onnHion

Mel80chnet Ilc Rolxrt MttskD i(lts i(1v ~bri

lVindmt (1966) tlr H ~ aUtnlion ID the physic~ ~tIlc

lure offil m w hleh Bochner describe~ a~ e rrkli

p[()gTCssion orhl)rilOflld sri ll images A Sfquence of

fixtd-hJml s llou of shop windows is cu t t rlmio ll1

int(1VaJs unoertining films inhere nt photoglltlph ic

dj~continlJl l _~ ~l1d b~3kmg ans~n se of re~1 [lllU

and Spue By Ctl1rltllit in Mkhu~ 1 Sfl bullS ~fllliJ rd

TiTlc(t967) details of t h( inlt rior of ~ 101)111 In Snows

hOn1l are rCloidld by it runeuro~lt1 mOVing around rle

spall~ In perpetual m oti on

itte topogroplly of lhe boJy i ~ the subjlcl of t hoe

tlm d group Film ltIS Pe lfnrmilll((middot Andy Vitrbols

Shlrtdricr llg66 a m inimil bl o1 Utmd-wtut t close-up

sludy of tb~ unmoving shoulder 01 Ih danar

lu cindl Chlw IS shawn apposlle Brucp Nauman s

nl~bfllt ll67J in whi th Nil uman npcmcdlv knca(Ii

ind pln~h(s (he nsh Df his uligh IIlimlced by

_ ~

Sl lllu1 Bllclcet ts subjection (Jftht bod) to obses)jve

(xamlnilcion in plays 5mh IS M~(Iy Noumtm ~ (iLlly

films all fucus On body parts ~nd physic ilcrlvity in

Sp1ct Yoidldng in (111 EI(QgglTlHrd MllmltT Artmnd rill

PL-rtmtlT of g SQUill (1967-6tj fu~e$ tht n~llfivC

willdng lDov~mtnU ot Bcck~n with the formal ttskmiddot

based ell(~ni5e stqultnccs thJ[ chuucttnllltl 3vantshy

prdio dmugt arthr period in a pe1omlilUVe ~utnct

copdudlai withlnl sinltic ft~ frame Vim Acconcis

lPIrtr rr4tn~ SruJid 11961 m1kM cht rebtioruhip

bctwcelj thl body and Ih-f film fTJmt txpbcit

through ~ s~qmm t ofthfP~ simpll mOemlnn runshy

nilg round The stationalY lune-rJ_ jumpm fhun Iioft

to tight j thongh tl)ios 10 ~ach Lh(l ot htr li~~ of

the ftl rlleAJld n ruggling wilhan 0ppollfn l (0

Xc-ury lhf (ralil ls ((nWI

In th~ 1970S th~ s~nality thlr had chtrU1erilN

~o many aniih filUh made wly tbr I 1(turo 10 oJ

na[laCtve rOml l h( imrodution of lIniU1~ into u-t

UJ lough ((tnctpruoU 11 15 r1IO rdllaquotfd tU tbpound ronshy

rtnt oJ aitbls tUlllS whlch now iJ1VOlg(d rhtmiddot dJ~lUJshy

)h~ ~~e of tnt()lmUlon Ilthir rl14rl dIe per tgtpntal leltlm of Scul]1tJk The fin ] lfOUp of tUn Ut lcJ ~COumer-NarrlUei cXjllo res t h( btCotkdown ot the

relat10runlp bcrwttn PnX~ss ltllld Idtltl (tXt ilod

im1ge_ All lhrCt ilrt i)u ulopl the Itn~1h of lhl fea

run film In l3wrtno WClnCr ~ Rn QUItr1tr (-197S)

ht d(flop 3 rn~n-sd~f1e us in~ conlttPfUot l sen

tences I7Om his works in other mcd il wh icb ClOTS

lOSln inro Chtir dlalogut u kind ot meldscriPl In

diiferem simations of socitll interaction In Vito

Acconcis Suptr-8 film My tlml (1973-71J title ctrlls

are substituted for spelaquoh thus dislocating laDb11agc

from lction ~jjent unurn )ialtmtnu anJ actionishy

form 01 linKt lw Jutoclogrnpb lCa) and thlOrdical dlSshy

lt01I lSe on Arcancis Jjf~ In Oa id llm elns Jb ULlnT

ftflpk ~197J-1I Ih~ lCeDrlgt of t he ArnLrican rutJ

mOVIl 311d rht dlJ4-rrmll1ary JIC grtfted u1yen~lher

lIaOjti l conunuhy h undtmlintd by a d rnl1ric

SWhlh (rom chnlttctelS in Llialogue driving It) and

fronl in Jndla n tcserlion in the descI1 to intershy

ltews lIb mlhropoioShu slude-nls ilnd joumalists

discuJ)inJ 1he npPlHsecton of nllie Americans

By the end 1 the cVlI11IIS an hat btocomo

deeply m~tiJHed by ~J)tma I~adtng clrtists to nu n

their attention toward t he commercial ~ygtt~ln of

c1 n(nu u liClf idmel~- filru prtdJcts thl end of t11e

am s(s fij m o f the 19705 in lh shift 01 th( itwing

w ntex lrum th~ gallcry sp-4e lllCk to the cim1f)a

auditorium lnd ib adoption ofl mo rt lltnntr ltflJ l

ntrratvt flnn TI( j)tW ~ Pllljgtir tnUd(hlhmiddots the tofJrk

of sub5tqutl ft t1elatlon~ of nl~ l s who ~rbll(t(]

HoHVOOd wmg fi lm to expand the dcfi lUtiom of

Contemporary arr

In (raCIng the tlajll1 0ry 01 thlt=St tltlrly cooCCprushy

al cx~nmtnU m filffimalunr by Hiis~ -F1aslnnt into the Shmiows revt als the lmpcrunl role p layN

by film in d~eloping a critical approoch to the

proc~ of JltTIuking durinA th( ilxtiti and 5iVentk-s

The vi$uiII l ltlesthetic and theoret icl connections

~tH~ n film 1nd work b) mists in o thM media

includinx pho tography sculpture perfonnmc( and

video OlTso de-monstrl les tht lastlllg impan o f dnfma

an t he tmguag~ D1 isllill ~n

(J1f1ssrr lits

Encd~ BTurI

FILM PROGRAM AJ--Ip_ IF _~_ - =rr u _ltffilou rt __

711t ___ Irr -__ __-_IIok-aJt-_I-IIltwmOj __middotGmrSdloaoo ____~ Oon~

All _- 6m UAltos ~ -laquo1