Garbage

Speaking of Abstraction: A Universal Language

January 1999 •English

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, abstraction - that most quintessentially modernist innovation - maintains a peculiarly contradictory position. Used, on one hand, by post-modernist artists as just one more quotable style amongst many, it is on the other hand still considered an elitist or hermetic language by audiences intimidated by its lack of recognizable subject matter. Yet ultimately, abstraction continues to be a viable creative path for contemporary artists of all generations, many of whom embrace it as the most inclusive and fundamentally resonant of artistic languages. Filmed at the artists' studios, the Dia Center for the Arts, and the Guggenheim Museum during their exhibition, "Abstraction in the Twentieth Century."

Casual Workers

December 2020 •English

An abstract perspective into two young South African workers in the heart of Johannesburg's industrial sector during Covid-19

A Trip to Paramountown

July 1922 •English

Documentary short film depicting the filmmaking activity at the Paramount Studios in Hollywood, featuring dozens of stars captured candidly and at work.

Screen Test: Jackie

January 1967 •English

Andy Warhol directs The Factory regular Louisa "Jackie" Foster for a screen test.

Moving

January 1981 •English

Elam records several men moving boxes and furniture as they track across her backyard.

Tai Chi II

January 1975 •English

“Tai Chi II,” similarly to Elam’s “Tai Chi Bowling” and “Tai Chi,” focuses on movement. Through a sequence of close-ups, Elam coyly records portions of several individuals practicing tai chi, primarily focusing on the practitioners’ extremities as they float about. Distinct from its affiliates, “Tai Chi II” finds the action taking place outside.

Landscape

January 1973 •English

Chicago streets.

INFRASTRATA

May 2024 •English

Amongst the contemplative static shots of decaying architecture weaves an abstract narrative unveiling the life-cycle of a higher perception, too large to perceive. Shot at various sites across south-east England, INFRASTRATA is a study on the concept of super-organisms, and the relationship between structure and nature.

Symptoms in Schizophrenia

January 1938 •English

Shows masked mental patients enacting various schizophrenic symptoms as they were understood at the time. A disturbing film that raises questions about the condition and treatment of its subjects. (archive.org) “Abstract: This film describes and demonstrates four types of schizophrenia. Filmed at various New York institutions, it shows patients singly and grouped in large, outside recreational areas. Some patients are blindfolded. Symptoms shown include: social apathy, delusions, hallucinations, hebephrenic reactions, cerea flexibilitas, rigidity, motor stereotypes, posturing, and echopraxia.” (Guide to Mental Health Motion Pictures)

The Creation Of Life

January 1948 •English

This silent film from 1948 "The Creation of Life" briefly demonstrates how a fetus forms and graphically shows different types of births. It was made by Sherwood Picture Corp., and may have been sold both to schools and professional organizations for medical education, and to the public for shock value. (Several similar birth films were sold in this era through home catalogs and photography shops.) Summary: By means of diagrams, conceptions and pregnancy are explained. Views of various methods of delivery are shown. Created by: T. Marc Sherwood

24

May 2024 •Spanish

Disabuse

Invalid date •English

Abstract short.

Windows

January 1984 •English

Contrasting environments, in and outside.

Sprockets

January 1976 •English

Sprocket holes moving across the screen.

Soviet Tajikistan: International Youth Day

October 1929 •Russian

Events that took place in the capital of the Tajik SSR, the city of Dushanbe in 1929.

Rodez

November 2017 •

An exploration of Rodez Cathedral and its stained glass windows: praying figures and scientific imagery. A study on color, repetition and flickering consisting of 292 photographs.

New York Portrait

June 1990 •English

Peter Hutton's New York trilogy. An act of urban archaeology, a chronicle of indelible impressions of the city.

BC

Invalid date •English

Elam turns in place while filming nature.

Bowl

January 1976 •English

USPS workers go bowling.

Atlanta Nat Convention

January 1980 •English

Filmed during the 52nd National Convention of the American National Association of Letter Carriers in August 1980.