MDST 3559 (Class schedule
#
18568)
University of Virginia
Spring 2010
MW 3:30-4:45pm :: 132 New Cabell
Mr. David Golumbia
Office: 449 New Cabell Hall
Spring 2010 Office Hours: MW 2-3:15pm
Experimentalism
A survey of the self-described "experimental" filmmakers of the 1960s and 1970s, and their associates, with some reference to forebears and followers and some reading of associated texts. We will view multiple films by Stan Brakhage, Paul Sharits, and Hollis Frampton, in particular, as well as works by Michael Snow, Ernie Gehr, and Su Friedrich, as well as a selection of experimentalist media in other genres, especially recent video and digital media. Discussion with short papers and a longer final paper or project.
Essays in Collab
- Raymond Bellour, "Interview with Bill Viola." October 32 (1985)
- Annette Michelson, "Frampton's Sieve." October 32 (1985)
- Annette Michelson , "About Snow." October 8 (1979)
- P. Adams Sitney, "The Lyrical Film," Chapter 6 of Visionary Film: The American Avant-Garde (1974)
- Allen S. Weiss, "Frampton's Lemma, Zorn's Dilemma." October 32 (1985)
- Jonathan Walley, "The Materiality of Film and the Idea of Cinema: Contrasting Practices in Sixties and Seventies Avant-Garde Film." October 103 (2003)
Films on reserve at Robertson Media Center
Many films are on reserve at Robertson Media Center; others are available online only. Where there might be any question as to where to locate the film, I've included an abbreviation keyed to the day on which each film is showing in the week-by-week syllabus.
Individual Filmmakers
- Stan Brakhage, By Brakhage: An Anthology, disc 1 (Criterion Collection, 2003). RMC Video .DVD02998 pt.1 (BA1)
- Stan Brakhage, By Brakhage: An Anthology, disc 2 (Criterion Collection, 2003). RMC Video .DVD02998 pt.2 (BA2)
- Stan Brakhage, Hand-Painted Films (Light Cone Video, 1994). RMC Video .VHS9658 (not on week-by-week syllabus)
- Stan Brakhage, Songs 1-14 RMC Video .VHS9566
- Su Friedrich, Damned If You Don't (1987) RMC Video .DVD05275
- Su Friedrich, Sink or Swim (1990) RMC Video .DVD05276
- Su Friedrich, Hide and Seek (2005) RMC Video .DVD05277 (not on week-by-week syllabus)
- Ken Jacobs, Tom Tom the Piper's Son RMC Video .VHS13309 (not on week-by-week syllabus)
- Michael Snow, WVLNT: Wavelength for Those Who Don't Have the Time RMC Video .DVD30019
- Bill Viola, I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like (1986) RMC Video .DVD06778
- Andy Warhol, 4 Silent Movies (Raro Video, 2004). RMC Video .DVD08012
Collections
- Various, American film treasures IV: avant garde, 1947-1986, disc 1 (National Film Preservation Foundation, 2009). RMC Video .DVD10017 pt.1 (AF1)
- Various, American film treasures IV: avant garde, 1947-1986, disc 2 (National Film Preservation Foundation, 2009). RMC Video .DVD10017 pt.2 AF2)
Films on web
Assignments and Evaluation
Evaluation will be based on written exercises and course participation as follows:
- Media description (15%)
A 2-3 page (approx 750 word) description of a work of experiemntal media not used in class (although it can be by one of the figures whose other works we study)
- Experimentalist description (15%)
A 2-3 page (approx 750 word) description of the career and works of an experimental media artist whose works we do not cover in class
- Final project (50%)
Students will complete a final project, due in place of the final exam, that relates to the course subject chosen in consultation with the instructor. The project might be a research paper, a web page, or a creative project.
- Participation (20%)
Including all in-class work, your attendance and participation in discussion. Working in teams of 2 or alone, students will prepare brief introductions to the works we view each day in class, but no separate grades for these introductions will be calculated
Policies
- This course is taught primarily via discussion. Your attendance and participation are vital to its success. A significant portion of your grade (20%) depends on your class participation. Because the class meets only once a week, more than one unexcused absence will count against your final course grade. 3 unexcused absences results in automatic failure of the course, in accordance with College guidelines.
- Papers for this class will be accepted in printed form only (ie, not emailed or posted online) unless otherwise arranged with instructor.
- No late work is accepted in this class. Work handed in late is automatically marked down one-third grade (e.g., a B becomes a B-) for each day it is late, and after one week becomes a failing grade for the assignment.
- You are expected to have done the primary reading and any other primary course assignments before the beginning of course each week.
- All work in this course is subject to the University's Honor Code. You may work in teams for some assignments, but all written work must be solely your own, and any reliance on published work must be properly cited.
- Final grades for the course will not be released until the entire class has submitted online course evaluations.
Week-by-Week Syllabus
Week 1. Introduction
- Weds Jan 20. Overview. Stan Brakhage, "Glaze of Cathexis" (BA2, youtube)
Week 2. Overview 1
Week 3. Overview 2: Snow and Gehr
Week 4. Frampton 1
- Mon Feb 8. Hollis Frampton, "Nostalgia" (1971, UW), "Ordinary Matter" (1972, UW); reading: Sitney, "The Lyric Film" (collab)
- Weds Feb 10. Hollis Frampton, "Palindrome" (1969, UW), "Poetic Justice" (1972, UW); reading: Michelson, "Frampton's Sieve" (collab)
Week 5. Paul Sharits
- Mon Feb 15. No class (instructor away)
- Weds Feb 17. Paul Sharits, "T,O,U,C,H,I,N,G" (1968, youTube), "Piece Mandala/End War" (1966; youTube)
Week 6. Frampton 2: Zorns Lemma
- Mon Feb 22. Zorns Lemma (1970) (UW)
- Weds Feb 24. Zorns Lemma (1970); reading: Weiss, "Frampton's Lemma, Zorn's Dilemma" (collab)
Week 7. Brakhage 1
- Mon Mar 1. Dog Star Man (1961-64) (BA1)
- Weds Mar 3. "The Wold Shadow" (1972), "The Stars Are Beautiful" (1974), "The Garden of Earthly Delights" (1981), "Untitled (For Marilyn)" (1992) (all on BA2). Media description due at beginning of class.
Week 8. Spring Break (no classes)
- Mon Mar 8. No class.
- Weds Mar 10. No class.
Week 9. Su Friedrich
- Mon Mar 15. "Scar Tissue" (1979, UW); Damned If You Don't (1987, video on reserve at RMC)
- Weds Mar 17. Sink or Swim (1990, video on reserve at RMC); reading: Walley, "The Materiality of Film and the Idea of Cinema" (collab)
Week 10. Brakhage 2
- Mon Mar 22. "Rage Net" (1988); "Glaze of Cathexis" (1990); "Black Ice" (1994); "Commingled Containers" (1997) (all on BA2)
- Weds Mar 24. "Night Music" (1986); "Stellar" (1993); "The Dante Quartet" (1987); "The Dark Tower" (1999) (all on BA2)
Week 11. Warhol
- Mon Mar 29. "Kiss," "Blow Job," "Mario Banana I and II" (all on Warhol, 4 Silent Movies)
- Weds Mar 31. "Empire" (Warhol, 4 Silent Movies)
Week 12. Bill Viola
- Mon Apr 5. No class (instructor away)
- Weds Apr 7. I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like (1986) (on reserve in RMC). Reading: "Interview with Bill Viola." Experimentalist description due at beginning of class.
Week 13. Snow 2
- Mon Apr 12. "So This Is" (1982, UW)
- Weds Apr 14. "WVLNT ('Wavelength For Those Who Don't Have the Time')" (2003) (on reserve at RMC Video .DVD30019)
Week 14. Mark Napier (potatoland.org)
Week 15. Jodi
Week 16. Final Class
- Mon May 3. Final discussion.
Final papers/projects due in my English Dept mailbox (Faculty Lounge, 2nd floor, Bryan Hall) or via email for online projects by 5pm, Tues, May 11, 2010. There is no final exam for the course.
Last updated April 18, 2010.