[Nettime-bold] CALCULATED CINEMA

["geert lovink" <geert@xs4all.nl>]

From: "constant" <info@constantvzw.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2001 6:46 AM
Subject: VJ5:::CALCULATED CINEMA

CALCULATED CINEMA
16 TO 22 /05 /2001
FILM MUSEUM- MUSEE DU CINEMA
16/05 + 17/05 20:15
18/05 to 22/05 22:15
FOR MORE INFO GO TO http://www.constantvzw.com/vj5

Calculated Cinema is a seven part series that focuses its attention on the
pioneering use of computers and electronics in experimental films. It looks
at the creation of new procedures in animation and, explores movement, light
and synchronicity between music and image, weaving a fabric of
cross-references. These concerns range from the first avant-garde groups, to
examples in more recent work, from the binary geometry of calculated images
to other arithmetical applications based on stills, and other principles of
systematic composition. The juxtaposition of different techniques, eras,
aesthetic directions, and very diverse natural images serve to establish
both the relationships and contrasts that pertain to this field, and which
can be observed in the works of artist-film-makers as Oskar Fischinger, Mary
Ellen Bute, John and James Whitney, Jordan Belson, Peter Kubelka, Werner
Nekes, Larry Cuba and Robert Darroll.

16 05  20:15
Calculated cinema will be introduced by Eugeni Bonet (SP) writer, film
maker, curator and tutor at the Fine Arts Department, Barcelona.

 1 Notions of Calculus 16 /05
 2 Elements of Image 17 /05
 3 Geometry and Oscillographs 18 /05
 4 Arithmetic of Frame and Bit 19 /05
 5 Lumigraphy, Chromophony and Abstronica 20 /05
 6 Machine-Language: Permutations 21 /05
 7 Cosmic Arabesque        22 /05

Programme 1 � NOTIONS OF CALCULUS

A miscellaneous programme conceived as an introduction to the overall
series. It presents a synthetic evolution of computer-assisted animation:
between analogue and digital machinery, abstraction and representation,
geometry and fiction, arithmetic and visual music. It includes a documentary
about the working procedures developed by John Whitney. Other
cross-references are inserted in various forms of animation and arithmetic
construction based on objective images which lead into the content of other
programmes.

M�nchen-Berlin Wanderung
Oskar Fischinger, 1927 (5 min.)

Lapis
James Whitney, 1963-66 (10 min.)

Catalog
John Whitney, 1961 (7 min.)

Poemfield 5 (Free Fall)
Stan Vanderbeek, 1967 (7 min.)

Calculated Movements
Larry Cuba, 1985 (6 min.)

Experiments in Motion Graphics
John Whitney, 1967-68 (13 min.)

24 Frames per Second
Takahiko Iimura, 1975-78 (12 min.)

Terminal Self
John Whitney Jr., 1971 (7 min.)

approximate length: 67 min.

Programme 2 � PICTURE ELEMENTS

The synthesis and analysis of images through basic formal elements � dot and
line, pixel and grid � and through a range of procedures that go from hand
to machine and optics to digitalisation. From McLaren�s direct film
animation methods to the trigonometric functions of programming languages.
Braids that create geometric rhythms, pointillist mosaics, symmetrical
loops, combinations of form and exuberant chromatics. Closing this
programme, the film by Fold�s was one of the firsts to use the computer in
order to automate the interpolation procedures of animated cinema.

Lines-Vertical
Norman McLaren / Evelyn Lambart, 1960 (5:30 min.)

Lines-Horizontal
Norman McLaren / Evelyn Lambart, 1962 (5:30 min.)

Mosaic
Norman McLaren / Evelyn Lambart, 1965 (5:30 min.)

Organisation II
Christian Lebrat, 1977 (5 min.)

3/78 (Objects and Transformations)
Larry Cuba, 1978 (6 min.)

Matrix III
John Whitney, 1972 (11 min.)

IFS-film
Joost Rekveld, 1991-94 (4 min.)

Autour de la perception
Pierre H�bert, 1968 (16 min.)

Metadata
Peter Fold�s, 1971 (8 min.)

approximate length: 67 min.

Programme 3 � GEOMETRY AND OSCILLOGRAPHICS

Euclidean and spontaneous drawings, between the compass and electronics,
analogy and algebra, symmetry and the one-off gesture, the machine and the
organic. Hybrid creations that fuse electronics and photography, calligraphy
and electronics, music and optics. Discovery of the oscilloscope, the
graphic tablet and the Totalization technique or �animation of illusory
solids� (introduced by Alexeieff / Parker in an exceptional series of
commercial advertisements).

Around is Around
Norman McLaren / Evelyn Lambart, 1951 (10 min.)

Rectangle et rectangles
Ren� Jodoin, 1984 (8 min.)

Spirals
Oskar Fischinger, 1926 (4 min.)

Symmetricks
Stan Vanderbeek, 1971 (6 min.)

Euclidean Illusions
Stan Vanderbeek, 1980 (10 min.)

Mood Contrasts
Mary Ellen Bute, 1956 (6:30 min.)

69
Denys Irving, 1969 (8 min.)

Color Commercials
Alexandre Alexeieff / Claire Parker, 1952-61 (8 min.)

Come Closer
Hy Hirsh, 1953 (7 min.)

approximate length: 68 min.

Programme 4 � ARITHMETICS OF FRAMES AND BITS

Here the binary system is mostly translated into the fundamental contrast
between black and white, light and dark. Black and Light is the title of one
of the programme�s most amazing films: a very literal case of film produced
with a computer. The radical sobriety of the metric or arithmetically
structured films by Kubelka, Kren and Brand (plus Iimura on programme one)
is situated in contrast to Larry Cuba�s hypnotic geometrical permutations
and to the charming digital harmonies to be found in other programmes.

Adebar
Peter Kubelka, 1956-57 (3 min.)

Schwechater
Peter Kubelka, 1957-58 (2 min.)

Arnulf Rainer
Peter Kubelka, 1958-60 (6:30 min.)

Black and Light
Pierre Rov�re, 1974 (8 min.)

Two Space
Larry Cuba, 1979 (8 min.)

3/60 B�ume im Herbst
Kurt Kren, 1960 (5 min.)

31/75 Asyl
Kurt Kren, 1975 (8:30 min.)

Moment
Bill Brand, 1972 (26 min.)

approximate length: 68 min.

Programme 5 � LUMIGRAPHY, CROMOPHONY AND ABSTRONICS

The Whitney brothers� early exercises in �audiovisual music� are compared
with other works by four generations of artists, all of which belong to an
artistic tradition of light and movement, colour and sound. An art with
multiple manifestations in kinetic and light sculpture, new instruments of
projection and visual music, procedures for the synthesis of sound and
images, and from abstract cinema to electronic media.

Opus I (Lichtspiel)
Walter Ruttmann, 1920 (8 min.)

Lichtspiel: Schwarz-Weiss-Grau
L�szl� Moholy-Nagy, 1930 (5:30 min.)

Polka Graph
Mary Ellen Bute, 1952 (4 min.)

Gyromorphosis
Hy Hirsh, 1956 (7 min.)

Film Exercise 1
James & John Whitney, 1943 (5 min.)

Film Exercises 2-3
James & John Whitney, 1944 (4 min.)

Film Exercises 4-5
James & John Whitney, 1945 (12 min.)

Abstronics
Mary Ellen Bute, 1954 (5:30 min.)

# 3
Joost Rekveld, 1994 (4 min.)

Collideoscope
Stan Vanderbeek, 1968 (6 min.)

approximate length: 61 min.

Programme 6 � MACHINE LANGUAGE AND PERMUTATIONS

Computer language goes in search of the human being�s natural language and
other mechanical inventions incorporating random functions, permutation
algorithms, procedures for the analysis and sequential composition of images
and text. The films on this programme combine texts and picture elements of
differing nature (from abstraction to representation), operating
permutations and dealing with semantic issues. All of these filmmakers have
gone through different techniques in their filmographies, with and without
the assistance of computers and data processing machines.

Filmblock I (random/text I/text II/go/orange)
Marc Adrian, 1962-64 (16 min.)

Poemfield 2
Stan Vanderbeek, 1971 (5 min.)

Word Movie/Fluxfilm 29
Paul Sharits, 1966 (4 min.)

Threshold
Malcolm Le Grice, 1972 (10 min.)

Film-Wipe-Film
Paul Glabicki, 1983 (28 min.)

Moe�s Field
Robert Darroll, 1993-96 (10 min.)

approximate length: 73 min.

Programme 7 � COSMIC ARABESQUES

The perfect geometry of the circle (mandala) is one of the shapes that runs
throughout this programme: from Belson�s cosmological visions to
Emshwiller�s solar disc and Vegter�s nocturne. From Fischinger to the
Whitney brothers, Belson, Stehura, etc., ancestral Oriental philosophies and
their symbolic graphics and rituals blend with the impact of science and
contemporary thought (from the theory of relativity to cybernetics), poetry
with world prose, and mathematics with the meditation machine (the yantra).
After all, Yin and Yang already described the binary system a long, long
time ago.

Yantra
James Whitney, 1950-57 (8 min.)

Radio Dynamics
Oskar Fischinger, 1943 (4 min.)

Cibernetik 5.3
John Stehura, 1961-65 (8 min.)

Piece Mandala/End War
Paul Sharits, 1966 (5 min.)

Cycles
Jordan Belson / Stephen Beck, 1974 (10 min.)

Celery Stalks at Midnight
John Whitney, 1952 (3 min.)

Arabesque
John Whitney, 1975 (8 min.)

Sunstone
Ed Emshwiller, 1979 (3 min.)

Nachtlicht
Bart Vegter, 1993 (13 min.)

approximate length: 62 min.

Programme notes by Eugeni Bonet

FOR MORE INFO GO TO http://www.constantvzw.com/vj5

Adresses - Adressen

_____________________________________


2.-     Filmmuseum
        Mus�e du cin�ma

Rue Baron Horta 9 Baron Hortastraat
Bruxelles 1000 Brussel
Tel : 02 507 83 70

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