February 22, 2012

Videotime






6 comments:

Boyda Johnstone said...

Oh hey, I'm here now.

God.

So these are amazing. Where is the last one shot? It reminds me of California. I love all the lines and the fragments of sound.

I just said California, but I meant Calgary. I'm just going to leave it at that.

The first one...is SO good. I should really circulate it amongst activist friends. I like how you're experimenting with close, abstract distortions.

Blah blah. Anyway, I'm sorry for my prolonged absence from this thing.

s$s said...

I've been absent too.

Now that I live here in Philomena/Winnipeg/Snow White with St. Dave and St. Forrest half my readers are in the same house as me and it seems weird to post things online for them to read which I could just tell them at the supper table. So I think I'm back in slow motion here. Facebook is where I post music I like and stuff like that now anyways, so...

The last one was, indeed, shot in Cal(ifornia)gary -on that road just across the river from downtown. It's very old footage that I re-assembled two years ago and finally got around to posting online a couple weeks ago.

re: "close, abstract distortions."
Yeah, in Montreal I was around a lot of people who liked abstract, experimental film-makers (like Stan Brakhage), and although my preference is still for some kind of narrative, I've definitely simplified my view of cinema to be fully accepting of the idea that at the end of the day a film's central accomplishment is providing aesthetic pleasure; so now my position is, if it looks nice -go for it. And sometimes colours blurring across the screen just look nice and it's as simple as that.

I dunno.

Thanks for watching. Thanks sincerely.

s$s said...

regarding the first one, Western Land:


I made it, put it online, and now I'm just hoping the wind will pick it up and carry it around. I didn't make it to last forever. It's for here and now.

Boyda Johnstone said...

I've probably said this before, but I love thinking of you three in the same house. I hope things are going well.

On a completely separate note, I have a friend here who has always strongly reminded me of you, not only because you have a certain similar style and appearance. You both have a no-bullshit attitude toward the world, mixed with a profound spirituality and a dedication to art. Maybe that combination isn't so rare as I think it is. At any rate, sometimes being around him makes me miss you.

http://www.allenstrouse.com/2.html

Boyda Johnstone said...

*profound but also atheistic and mystical spirituality


website above.

Anonymous said...

i very much enjoyed his website. and yes, he does seem like my kind of guy. On his site he says something along the lines of "only an atheist can be a Christian." I liked that.

You said, "You both have ...a profound [but also atheistic and mystical] spirituality and a dedication to art. Maybe that combination isn't so rare as I think it is."

So far I haven't met any other atheist mystic artists. But, yes, perhaps we are out there in abundance.

-Matthew