Stan VanDerBeek’s Day

 

‘Stan VanDerBeek is a legendary name in the history of experimental film. A restless adventurer who began making experimental animated films in the 1950s, VanDerBeek filmed happenings, designed windows for Tiffany’s and worked with John Cage and Claes Oldenburg.

‘He also explored the artistic possibilities of new technologies of his time: video, computers, even the fax machine. He was artist-in-residence at Bell Labs and at NASA.

‘VanDerBeek’s 1963 film Breathdeath is full of animated collages satirizing gender roles and politics. There’s also an arresting staged scene — a woman sits on a bed nuzzling a figure made from an empty shirt and trousers, topped by a television set showing men’s faces; she looks into the camera while “I Put a Spell on You” wails on the soundtrack.

‘VanDerBeek made dozens of these collage films in the 1950s and early ’60s, using altered clippings from magazines and newspapers to create whimsical but pointed commentary. The films look like they must be the primary inspiration for Terry Gilliam’s Monty Python animated sequences, which appeared a few years later.

‘But VanDerBeek did not start out as a filmmaker. He attended Black Mountain College in North Carolina to study visual art. There he met people who were transforming art: composer John Cage, choreographer Merce Cunningham, painter Robert Rauschenberg. But painting wasn’t enough for VanDerBeek. “VanDerBeek called himself a technological fruit picker,” says Joao Ribas, who is curator at MIT’s LIST Visual Arts Center.

‘VanDerBeek’s only technical training in filmmaking came from working on animation for a CBS children’s show in the 1950s. He would use the editing equipment after hours to complete his own films, cajoling the night watchman to let him in even after he lost the job. The collage films were designed and created at his home, as his oldest daughter, August, recalls.

‘In the mid-’60s, VanDerBeek ordered a grain-silo kit and used the top to build a domed theater in the artists’ cooperative where he lived in rural New York. The inside space was 31-feet high. August VanDerBeek says she helped build what her dad called the Movie Drome.

‘”There was of course a big event when everybody came from New York City,” August recalls. “Andy Warhol and different people came to see the first showing. We had a beautiful cloth and pillows. There was a circular tray that was about probably 10 feet or 12 feet in diameter, that had many slide projectors and a lot of 16mm projectors, and it would just spin around the whole room. We would lie down and watch this incredible collage of images. He would find slides. He would make films and then edit them for the pieces.”

“There was of course a big event when everybody came from New York City,” August recalls. “Andy Warhol and different people came to see the first showing. We had a beautiful cloth and pillows. There was a circular tray that was about probably 10 feet or 12 feet in diameter, that had many slide projectors and a lot of 16mm projectors, and it would just spin around the whole room. We would lie down and watch this incredible collage of images. He would find slides. He would make films and then edit them for the pieces.”

‘Her father made a somewhat portable version called the Movie Mural that curators have tried to approximate in Houston. It’s not really a dome and not quite wraparound. The table of projectors still has those cranky antiques — the carousel slide projector — but it’s updated with video projectors too, since 16mm projectors could not run for hours without breaking down. The table doesn’t spin, as the original did in the Movie Drome, but it still creates a dizzying array of sight and sound.

‘Blues music overlaps with Hollywood film clips of Gene Kelly or Humphrey Bogart. Photos of classical statuary and temples slide in next to VanDerBeek’s own kinetic line drawings of figures. Newspaper headlines compete with the Rolling Stones. The Movie Mural is the dominant feature in the exhibition; no matter where you are in the Museum’s long open space, you can always hear that energetic circus of sound.

‘VanDerBeek envisioned a global network of these environments linked by satellites. He called it the Culture Intercom (also the title of the exhibition). The term suggests a prescient imagining more than 40 years ago of today’s Worldwide Web and social media.

‘VanDerBeek recorded his exuberant notes and proposals for the future on media that is now obsolete media or quite perishable: yellowing notebook paper, paper punch cards he used with some of the first computer-imaging software at Bell Labs, floppy disks, film stock that crumbles away. The exhibition reclaims this material in all its intimately detailed glory, right down to hand-drawn maps for people coming to the Movie Drome.’ — NPR

 

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Stills

 

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Further

Stan VanDerBeek
we are still catching up with his visions for the future
Stan VanDerBeek @ IMDb
Visual Velocity: The Work of Stan VanDerBeek
Movie Mural
Stan VanDerBeek @ Andrea Rosen Gallery
Stan VanDerBeek @ Film Makers Coop
Stan VanDerBeek: Film On The Cutting Edge
Even Alien Whales: Stan VanDerBeek’s Brainchildren
Stan VanDerBeek: The Culture Intercom
William Kaizen on Stan VanDerBeek
Stan VanDerBeek Re:animated
Review: Stan VanDerBeek at Andrea Rosen Gallery
A Room With A Field: Stan VanDerBeek’s Poemfields
Stan VanDerBeek: An Early Space Art Pioneer

 

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Stan Vanderbeek: The Computer Generation (1972)
‘Documentary from 1972 by John Musilli. Gygory Kepes’ dream for the new MIT Center for Advanced Visual Studies was to create a thriving laboratory for the creation of new artworks and artistic research within the context of MIT. Established in 1967, the Center appointed several long-term fellows in its first decade, including the pioneering experimental filmmaker Stan VanDerBeek. VanDerBeek became enthralled with MIT’s digital universe. Everywhere, he found computers and intensely creative engineers and scientists pushing the absolute limits of technology. VanDerBeek was as interested in how computers were shaping MIT and the larger society as he was in conducting his own experiments. The Computer Generation is a documentary that captures VanDerBeek’s expansive and fascinating ideas about computers and society and that features clips of his own investigations conducted largely at MIT. “What does an artist do with a machine?” he asks in the film. “Amplify the artist’s thought. And at last the artist is in the electronic matrix, no longer confined to his studio.”’ — Network Awesome

 

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10 of Stan VanDerBeek’s 64 films

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Euclidean Illusions (1978)
‘A fantasy film of illusive geometry, changing and rebuilding itself by computer animation, unique visual magic done while artist-in-residence at NASA in Houston in conjunction with Richard Weinberg.’ — Filmmakers Coop

Dan Deacon and Andrew Bernstein live soundtracking Euclidean Illusions

 

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Film Form No. 1 (1970)
‘A hypnotic dance film of colors, dancers, forms and music all sweeping through the tv tube eye, mixed together into a flow of female bodies and colors, a brilliant study of color printing from black and white. ” S.V. “The mysterious, gracefully repeated dancer of Stan Vanderbeek’s Film Form No. 1 puts the video film in a perspective that makes the mere ordering of space for a few minutes seem reason enough for the whole perilous business of reducing time and movement to anything so substantial as film or tape.’ — Roger Greenspun

 

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Poem Fields Nos. 1-8 (1968)
‘Each film was constructed using Knowlton’s BEFLIX computer language, which was based on FORTRAN. The films were programmed on a IBM 7094 computer. The films were created in black and white, with color added later by Brown and Olvey. This particular version is taken from a film with some color decay.’ — AT&T Tech Channel

Trailer

 

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Moirage (1967)
‘Moirage, 1967 is an abstract film study in optical illusions and pattern-superimpositions which built on VanDerBeek’s longstanding interest in visual phenomena. Made with a moiré pattern kit consisting of transparencies with concentric circles, parallel lines, and arrays of dots, the resulting effect (generally curved, radiating and sometimes very complex rippled or “watered” appearance), demonstrates wave interference and can be said to be a psychological experience due to how any imperfect alignment forms a pattern in one’s own eye. Moiré was one of the key motifs of the 1960s as seen in avant-garde films by peers of VanDerBeek such as John Whitney and Jordan Belson, following progenitors of the form, Oskar Fischinger and Len Lye.’ — magenta plains

Watch an excerpt here

 

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The Human Face is a Monument (1965)
‘Camera animation over stills, “a portrait study of mankind, beginning with an infant and growing up to old age and death… using still pictures from the collection of ‘magnum photos on the range of expression and moods of people from all over the world, it reflects the human condition.’ — S.V.

 

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Movie-Drome (1964–65)
‘Described by VanDerBeek as a “very intense audio-visual environment” or a large-scale collage, Movie-Drome includes thirty to forty films and five slideshows organized into seventeen moving image and sound programs displayed in a silo top dome structure. Content loops simultaneously in a particular arrangement designated by the Archive. Content is based on VanDerBeek’s playlists for the Movie-Drome and includes material representative of his varied approaches to filmmaking: collage films; computer films; newsreel and found film; dance and performance films; and multiple slideshows combining original and found images. Movie-Drome has a fixed number of programs comprised of material made 1957-1972.’ — MoMA

Excerpt 1

Excerpt 2

Installing Stan VanDerBeek’s “Movie-Drome”

 

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Breathdeath (1963)
“… a film experiment that deals with the photo reality and the surrealism of life. It is a collage-animation that cuts up photoes and newsreel film and reassembles them, producing an image that is a mixture of unexplainable fact (Why is Harpo Marx playing a harp in the middle of a battlefield?) with the inexplicable act (Why is there a battlefield?). It is a black comedy, a fantasy that mocks at death…a parabolic parable.’ — S.V.

 

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Wheeeeels No 2 (1959)
‘Dedicated to Detroit and subtitled ‘America on wheels.’ A fantasy farce farce on the car of everyday life. Everything is a vehicle, life is in motion, motion is the means, the automation is the mean mania of today.’ — S.V.

Watch the film here

 

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Astral Man (1959)
‘“Can – there – exist – in – the – eye – a – side – we – can – not – see…” begins Astral Man, labeled as an “illuminated poem” towards the end of the short film. When describing this film, Stan VanDerBeek called it “An animated vision… a subliminal glance at man in light and space.”’ — magenta plains

Watch an excerpt here

 

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Science Friction (1959)
‘The technological explosion of this last half-century, and the implied future are overwhelming, man is running the machines of his own invention… while the machine that is man… runs the risk of running wild. Technological research, development, and involvement of the world community has almost completely out-distanced the emotional-sociological (socio-“logical”) comprehension of this technology. The “technique-power” and “culture-over-reach” that is just beginning to explode in many parts of the earth, is happening so quickly that it has put the logical fulcrum of man’s intelligence so far outside himself that he cannot judge or estimate the results of his acts before he commits them.’ — Stan Vanderbeek

 

 

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p.s. Hey. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi. I’m old enough to have gone through some lunchboxes in my school going days. Disco Fever might be on eBay or something if your recent spending spree isn’t over yet. And you’ll get to pore over my year’s faves tomorrow, lucky you? ** Huckleberry Shelf, Hi! I think I know exactly what you mean. I went into fiction writing as poet, and it also took me some time to realise that the conventional fiction writing rules and etiquette weren’t things I had to learn to adhere to but were things that I, as a poet, didn’t need to learn and follow, and that they were just options I could use as I saw fit, like line breaks. Anyway, you sound like you’re in an excellent state of mind re: prose, and, obviously, I highly encourage you to keep finding your ideal voice therein. You’ll land where you want, I’m sure, not to mention land in places you never imagined landing. It’s exciting to hear about and think about. Oh, in case you didn’t see it, HaRpEr shared some thoughts with you about that. Yeah, nice Bruce Boone quote. Have a lovely day, sincerely me. ** Dominik, Hi!!! Thanks, it seems so, and I hope so. It’s true, if I did advise myself against having hopeless crushes, I wouldn’t have written a lot of my early poetry, for better or worse. Nice lunchbox picks. Agreed. I’ve actually owned two of those lunch boxes. A friend gave me the Weezer lunchbox back when I was really into them, and the ‘Get Smart’ one accompanied me to school in my elementary years on occasion. Sounds like love needed a … dare I say … bubble bath? Love making my trip home today from a fancy hotel with a fragile Buche de Noel in a bag one in which everyone around me keeps a safe, respectful distance, G. ** Steeqhen, I think it’s true that lunchboxes are a pretty American tradition. When I was searching for them, I didn’t see any that had graphics from old TV shows originating in the UK or anywhere else, just ones emblazoned with American stuff. Aw, poor Marge. Congrats on getting the essay behind you. Go deservingly wild. Thanks in advance about the email and its accoutrement. The next game I’m going to buy for my Switch after I finish ‘Paper Mario’ is ‘Lorelei and the Laser Eyes’, recommended by the blog’s very own jay. What games are you eyeballing? ** jay, Turning a seeming ‘whatever’ into an unexpected wow is one my blog’s goals in life, so thank you. Even the most at-peace old guys can be a little sensitive about their oldness, but you sound like you’ve read the vibes quite well. ‘Belladona of Sadness’ is now a must, thanks. ‘Blue of Noon’ is my second favorite Bataille after you-know-what. Your boyfriend is a Bataille skeptic, or maybe a ‘you’ as an influenced prospectee skeptic? I’d save you a slice of the Buche de Noel I’m going to devour (with friends) today if I possibly could. ** James, You thought the post’s title was a ruse and that you’d get 218 slaves instead maybe? Do you play Ping Pong? I used to. My family had a ping pong table when I was growing up, but I was too klutzy. But I grew up with a pool table in my bedroom, and I used to be a real pool playing shark. I’m guessing you’re post-English lessons and utterly free as you read this. So, high-five assuming I am correct. You have the wildest days. You probably don’t think so since you’re in the middle of them, but you do, trust me. My guess from what you say is that your family knows but wants that to be your personal, discrete business? We’ve talked about hot chocolate in the past? *thump* (sound of me smacking myself upside my head). May whatever is left of your day be the highlight of your day. Or lowlight if you prefer. ** Lucas, Hey! ‘Crowd’ was great. That’s weird for me to say since I partly made it, but it was. Two of the ‘actors’ in ‘Permanent Green Light’ are dancers in ‘Crowd’, and it was nice to see them do what they normally do. That’s so great about your great friends. That’s so important, as you well know. Ugh about the stuff with your parents. Gosh, I hope that’s sorted and that you’re feeling more secured today. Are you? ** Joseph, Making you happy is no small thing, so thank you. ‘The Lunch Box That Rocks’ sounds great, wow. Hugs re: its demise. Fucking world. Yes, awesome, about your soon-to-be Japan ensconced friends! Wherever they land, Japan has those amazing high speed bullet trains, so you can travel fairly afar in a snap. ** politekid, Whoa, big O, there you are! I’ve been wondering where and how you are and assuming the Satanic Cloudflare monster might have been keeping you at bay. Anyway, you’re here! Hey! I’m okay. Yeah, the film’s problems starting to be solved at last is huge. My novel that’s being turned into a graphic novel is ‘God Jr.’, which probably won’t surprise you. Um, no, no ‘Closer’ manga that I know of. A Japanese artist did some yaois based on my novel ‘Try’ back in the 90s, but I think that’s it for me and manga/graphic novels other than ‘Horror Hospital Unplugged’. Awesome about the book! Sweet! Um, be sure you’re not being seriously subjective about that work, man. It’s very easy to lose sight of the value of something you made before you changed your standards for what you make. It probably has charm and power that you can’t focus your eyes, etc on. It’s like … there are things in some of my early novels that I know I could do better now, but I would never revise them because I know I would probably harm whatever magic that my inabilities at the time accidentally caused. That said, editing is the funnest. You’ll figure it out. Is there a way to see this lit journal you co-edited? Because I would like to if so. Those students sound insufferable. Brats. So sorry. Slip some acid into their water supply. My only Xmas plan is eating a Buche de Noel later today with some pals. Beyond that, absolutely nothing planned. But you + Xmas will = ?. I hope Cloudflare continues to find favor with you because you’re a sight and text for sore eyes and brain. xo. ** Steve, So sorry about your parents and the cold. That does sound really stressful. I’m pretty sure that all of the lunchboxes were/are real, yeah. No clue on that weird fish. I naturally think your idea for the EP is a most inspired one, so have fun nailing it. ** Toniok, Hi. Because … lunchboxes are not a popular item where you live maybe? Don’t give up on the book of your art re: publishers. It took me ages to find a publisher for my first novel, and then it was great. But the rejections were many and frequent for quite a while. James Lee Byars, cool. I have my faves list coming up tomorrow, so I’ll wait to counter with my top things until then. xo, me. ** HaRpEr, I was surprised they were still making lunchboxes by the time of Slipknot’s heyday. Awesome about your excitement and dedication to the manuscript. Your thinking thereby sounds really sparkling. I didn’t know Basinski did a ‘Silent Night’. I need a soundtrack for the Buche eating event today, and that might do the trick. Thank you so much! ** Jimmy, Hi. Nah, it was raining all day yesterday, so I put off my market trip until … maybe today. I do need to eat. But I’m eating part of the Buche today, so that might suffice. I think you should feast whatever makes your tongue hang over your bottom lip. Friday of momentousness to you. ** Sarah, Hi, Sarah! Thanks, yes, finally (re: the film). ‘Diary of a Rapist’, noted. I haven’t read it. I know the word Yakuza, but I don’t think I know of what you speak. I can and will find out though. I don’t know, your novel premise or story or whatever sounds quite promising. And I do so like the overcomplicated. But you feel like you need to figure out what’s going on? You don’t think it’s maybe going on without your complete and conscious knowledge? I hope you can sort it. I’m excited by a novel by you. I’m actually between books because I ordered some and they haven’t arrived yet, but tomorrow I’m posting my faves of 2024 lists, and I can recommend anything that may intrigue you based on the title and author/maker and book cover/representative image and the fact that it was a fave of mine? I haven’t seen ‘Wicked’. Should I? I sort of haven’t had any interest in trying it. But should I? ** Okay. Today I present to you another excellent experimental filmmaker who you may or may not know but who I think you will not be sorry to have become at least somewhat familiar with. See you tomorrow.