Spotlight on John Smith

Posted February 6th, 2019 in New Acquisitions, New Films, News / Events

With his elaborate verbal and visual puns and exuberant wit, John Smith reminds us that experimental film can be funny. New restoration prints of Om and Associations are now available, and we are thrilled to offer Slow Glass, Smith’s experimental documentary on glassmaking and urban transformation, for the first time.

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Slow Glass (1988-91 | 40 minutes | COLOR | SOUND)

“A mesmerizing experimental documentary that presents a discussion of the manufacture of glass as a way to explore memory and transformation. Filled with Smith’s signature witty wordplay and elegant visual punning, Slow Glass also quietly ponders weighter issues of urban transformation and the value placed on craftsmanship.” Alexander Stewart, notes for screening at Pioneer Works, New York 2015

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Om (1986 | 4 minutes | COLOR | SOUND)

“This is hard-core cinema.” – Peter Kubelka, ‘What is Film’ lecture series, National Film Theatre, London.

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Associations (1975 | 7 minutes | COLOR | SOUND)

Images from magazines and colour supplements accompany a spoken text taken from ‘Word Associations and Linguistic Theory’ by Herbert H Clark. By using the ambiguities inherent in the English language, ‘Associations’ sets language against itself. Image and word work together/against each other to destroy/create meaning.