[Frameworks] My new book on Brakhage, and related screenings

[Fred Camper]

I am pleased to announce the publication of my book, /Seeking Brakhage/. 
This project was proposed to me by Scott Hammen of Eyewash Books in 
Paris, who did much of the work on it, and consists of a collection of 
almost all my writing on the filmmaker Stan Brakhage, from 1966, when I 
was 18, to 2021. It is 455 pages and includes 56 color images, scans of 
his films which I selected from the many that I have made over the 
course of two decades. The book includes an introduction by P. Adams 
Sitney, who, I am glad to note, offers some critiques and different 
perspectives, and will be available as print copies (expensive because 
of the cost of print on demand) and ebooks ($20) starting January 14, 
which is the ninetieth anniversary of Brakhage’s birth. There is also a 
recording of a Zoom session that begins with my introduction to Brakhage 
and to the book and continues with responses from several film 
professors at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm1-pG3Dagg

This publication date will be marked by screenings of Brakhage films in 
New York on January 14 and 15, in programs I curated at the Museum of 
the Moving Image and Anthology Film Archives. Links to these programs 
are on the main page of my Web site, http://www.fredcamper.com/ The 
first program presents my idea of some of Brakhage’s most important, and 
mostly lesser-known, films, and the second, films of no less importance 
but only in 8mm and 35mm.

The curators at both venues asked that I also show my own almost never 
screened films, and the same program of my five early 16mm films, made 
between ages 19 and 21 and recently restored due to the excellent work 
of the Chicago Film Society, will be shown at both locations on January 
14 and 16. I will offer comments at all four screenings.

The book will make the most sense to those who know and are interested 
in Brakhage’s work. If you don’t know his films, they are in my view, 
and that of some others, one of the major achievements among all of 
twentieth century art. There is a Criterion DVD set, which I worked on. 
My introductory essay for that set, which is in the book but can also be 
read at no charge 
athttps://www.criterion.com/current/posts/272-by-brakhage-the-act-of-seeing, 
is I think my best general introduction to Brakhage. Copies of his 
films, mostly of inferior or unwatchably bad quality, can also be found 
on YouTube.

My fondest hope for this book as that it encourages more screenings of 
Brakhage’s work on film, and I am open to considering curating and 
appearing at such events. As for the book, I am hoping that it will be 
purchased in either or both formats by university libraries, so if you 
have connections to such a library and wish to recommend its purchase, 
please do so.

Fred Camper
Chicago
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