[Frameworks] abstraction and politics

[Kelly Sears]

Thank you everyone for your responses.  These are satisfying the itch
behind this question.  I very much agree, the terms 'political' and
'abstract' both have so much grey area around them.  I'm interested in
exploring these varying degrees  of grey behind this question.

Brakhage's production as an argument/strategy against commodified, object
oriented production,  is something I'm very interested.  I'm interested in
Politics with a capital P refering to specific event-based narratives as
well as politics with a lower case p- and the Brakhage/object-oriented
consumer conversation is a fantastic example of that.

In my own work, I'm thinking about the tension between the figure and
animated textures and am looking at other textural work that can embody
some kind P/political narrative.  Roger, I'm excited to follow up on your
suggestions.

Thanks again for taking the time to chime in.

All the best,

Kelly






On Mon, Oct 7, 2013 at 9:56 AM, Fred Camper <f at fredcamper.com> wrote:

> Of course, Brakhage, and of course, "23rd Psalm Branch." I have also
> argued, for example in my liner notes  for the Criterion DVD, that his work
> as a whole constitutes an argument against our object-oriented,
> commodified, static, consumerist culture. This to me is arguably a
> profounder statement than a film that takes a particular position on a
> particular issue of the day.
>
> In his remarks at the premiere of "The Text of Light," published in
> several sources, he talks about opposing the typical American view of
> landscape as real estate, something to be divided up and bought and sold.
>
> Fred Camper
> Camper
>
>
> Quoting marilyn brakhage <vams at shaw.ca>:
>
>  While they probably wouldn't normally be considered political, some Stan
>> Brakhage films are short, abstract works that can be seen, at least in
>> part, as meditations on certain cultural histories.  For examples:
>>  "Unconscious London Strata," "In Consideration of Pompeii," "b Series"
>> (containing "Retrospect:  The Passover," "Blue Black Introspection," "Blood
>> Drama," "I Am Afraid:  And This Is My Fear," and "Sorrowing"), "Three
>> Homerics," "The Egyptian Series," "Persian Series" and "Chinese Series."  .
>> . . And of course, "23rd Psalm Branch," perhaps his most "political" film,
>> does have significant abstract passages.
>>
>> Marilyn Brakhage
>>
>>
>> On 6-Oct-13, at 7:59 PM, Kelly Sears wrote:
>>
>>  Dear frameworkers,
>>>
>>> I would love to pick your collective brain about some film/videos that
>>> use abstraction to address political, social, or cultural histories.   I
>>> would double love it if anyone had any suggestions of writings on this
>>> topic as well.  I'm interested in learning more about how this visual
>>> strategy and lack of the figurative or representational could be used in a
>>> political/critical way.
>>>
>>> Many thank yous.
>>>
>>> Kelly
>>>
>>>
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>
>
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