FILM QUARTET/POLYFRAME
- Antoni Pinent |
- 2006-2008 |
- 9 minutes
Rental Format(s): 35mm film
Sale Format(s): Digital File
"FILM QUARTET / POLYFRAME" is conceived as a small cinematographic bomb attempting to question the established definition of frame as the minimum unit of (cinematographic) time by dynamiting it in four fragments.
A step further in the so-called sub-genre practice of found footage film -recycled material- is also put forward for consideration in this project. The appropriationism applied in this work makes use of material found in Hollywood cinema ("Singin'in the rain", Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly, 1952); Pink Panther; Buster Keaton; etc., the first avant-garde period ("Un chien andalou", Luis Buñuel & Salvador Dalí, 1929) and American experimental film ("Wavelength", Michael Snow, 1966-1967). Such method makes possible, therefore, to maintain image ecology while it provides an analysis of the history of cinema.
An explosive artifact has been inscribed as cinematographic notation on musical staffs in order to facilitate the interpretation and development of the piece beyond its mere projection. Such being the case, unchanging cinematographic would pushed for their reinvention-destruction-explotion.
This piece celebrates the 50th anniversary of "A Movie" (1958), by Bruce Conner (1933-2008).
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I've seen "FILM QUARTET / POLYFRAME" several times and it continues to astonish me. I love films that bring out the plasticity of the medium and this film is a prime example - as illustrated for instance by the Super 8 frames that were individually removed. The film's wide range of source material and extensive editing are impressive as is the sound track which combines the noise of the filmic material itself with the original sound of the footage: Great achievement! My favorite scene is the fall of the pole vaulter which is interwoven with particles of black frames - the image breaks into pieces as his movement gradually slows down. Amazing! [Peter Tscherkassky, May 5th 2009]