2008/11/14
OCA Semesterplan – WEEK 47
Stan Brakhage, stills from Coupling, 1999 Courtesy of the Estate of Stan Brakhage and fredcamper.com
Nicky Hamlyn
introduces a Compilation of Short Films by
Stan Brakhage
WEDNESDAY, 19 NOVEMBER / 19:00
NEDRE GATE 7
Filmmaker and writer Nicky Hamlyn will give an introduction to American filmmaker Stan Brakhage (b.1933) and his project, including documentation of Brakhage's family life in all its aspects.
Before his death in March 2003, Brakhage had completed more than 350 films, ranging from the psycho-dramatic works of the early 1950s to autobiographical lyrics, mythological epics, 'documents', and metaphorical film 'poems' – variously employing his uniquely developed hand-held camera and rapid editing techniques, multiple superimpositions, collages, photographic abstractions and elaborate hand-painting applied directly to the surface of the film. A deeply personal filmmaker, Brakhage's great project was to explore the nature of light and all forms of vision – while encompassing a vast range of subject matter. He frequently referred to his works as 'visual music' or 'moving visual thinking'. The majority of his films are silent. Brakhage taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and as Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The recipient of three Honorary Degrees and numerous prestigious awards, he lectured extensively on filmmaking and the Arts, and is the author of eleven books – including his seminal 1963 workMetaphors On Vision, and his more recent series of essays Telling Time.
Nicky Hamlyn studied fine art at Reading University. His films have been shown at venues and screenings around the world. His book Film Art Phenomena (2003), a survey of experimental film and video, was published by the British Film Institute in London. He is a senior lecture in Video Arts Production and Visual Theory at the University for Creative Arts, Maidstone and visiting lecturer at the Royal College of Art in London. He wrote an essay on Stan Brakhage's Roman Numeral series in David James (ed.), Stan Brakhage: An American Filmmaker, Temple University Press, 2004.
OFFICE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART NORWAY
The Office for Contemporary Art Norway is a private foundation and was founded by The Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs and The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in fall 2001. The main aim of the Office for Contemporary Art Norway is to develop collaborations in contemporary art between Norway and the international art scene. The Office for Contemporary Art Norway aims to become a key contributor to the discourses of contemporary art.