Presented by Oregon Cartoon Institute. All films on 16mm!
Films introduced by Rani Singh, director of the Harry Smith Archives at the Getty Institute. Live music accompaniment by Matt Carlson and Jordan Dykstra. Sound Design by Andrew Ritchie.
Two of Harry’s gorgeous hand painted
Early Abstractions
will be followed by
Heaven And Earth Magic
, Harry’s surreal 66 minute stop motion/cut out animation masterpiece. This is a rare opportunity to see
Heaven And Earth Magic
projected on the big screen, using the sumptuous, expanded cinema techniques Harry himself used! Famed film archivist Dennis Nyback will recreate Harry’s live projection, using multiple projectors to alter, color and shape the moving image.
Following the films, Sheldon Renan, Rani Singh and Darrin Daniel discuss Harry, and take questions from the audience. All three speakers knew Harry Smith personally. Sheldon Renan met Harry in the 1960's in New York City. He first wrote about Harry in
An Introduction to the American Underground Film
. Rani Singh and Darrin Daniel met Harry during his three year tenure (1989-1991) as Shaman-In-Residence at Naropa Institute. Rani Singh is the co-editor of
Harry Smith: The Avant-Garde In The American Vernacular
. Darrin Daniel is the author of
Harry Smith: Fragments Of A Northwest Life
.
Harry Smith’s description of
Heaven And Earth Magic
:
“
The first part depicts the heroine’s toothache consequent to the loss of a very valuable watermelon, her dentistry and transportation to heaven. Next follows an elaborate exposition of the heavenly land, in terms of Israel and Montreal. The second part depicts the return to Earth from being eaten by Max Müller on the day Edward VII dedicated the Great Sewer of London.”