A Body of Vision: Representations of the Body in Recent Films and Poetry

Elder examines how artists such as Brakhage, Artaud, Schneemann, Cohen and others have tried to recognize and to convey primordial forms of experiences. He argues that the attempt to convey these primordial modes of awareness demands a different conception of artistic meaning from any of those that currently dominate contemporary critical discussion. By reworking theories and speech in highly original ways, Elder formulates this new conception. His remarks on the gaps in contemporary critical practices will likely become the focus of much debate. MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Contents 4 With Gratitude 6 Acknowledgments 8 Introduction 10 The Human Dilemma 30 The Anxious Body of Shame, Disgust, or Appalling Death: Films by Bruce Conner 33 The Troubling Body of Sexual Difference: Williard Maas's: The Geography of the Body 45 The Complexities of Identification—Walter Gutman and the Body Remade as Whole 74 The Body as Sacred—The Films of James Broughton, Especially: The Golden Positions 79 The Body and the Cosmos—The Films of Ed Emshwiller 94 First Digression: The Theory of Transformation and Its Importance to Understanding the Uniqueness of Artistic Meaning 106 Ed Emshwiller's Mixed Mode of Cinema Contrasted with the Lyrical Film 125 The Body as the Universe in Stan Brakhage's Early Films 149 The Body Electric: Of Wilhelm Reich and Antonin Artaud—Laying the Groundwork for Carolee Schneemann's Body Art 152 Second Digression: A Mystical View of the Body under the Pervasive Influence of Gnosticism—Laying the Groundwork for Leonard Cohen's Writings on the Body and Carolee Schneemann's Films and Performances 200 Leonard Cohen's Gnosticism and Its Influence on His Conception of the Body 219 The Influence of Gnosticism on the Writings of Antonin Artaud 232 The Body of Gnostic Energy in the Work of Carolee Schneemann 242 The Body of Transcendental Flesh—The Films of James Herbert 285 The Cognitive Body—The Films of Amy Greenfield and Another View of the Films of Stan Brakhage 303 The Pneumatic Body—The Films of Andrew Noren 325 Notes 360 Bibliography 390 Index 394 A 394 B 395 C 396 D 398 E 398 F 399 G 400 H 400 I 401 J 401 K 402 L 402 M 402 N 403 O 404 P 404 Q 405 R 405 S 406 T 408 U 409 V 409 W 409 Y 409 Z 409 The Anxious Body Of Shame, Disgust, Or Appalling Death: Films By Bruce Conner -- The Troubling Body Of Sexual Difference: Williard Maas's The Geography Of The Body -- The Complexities Of Identification--walter Gutman And The Body Remade As Whole -- The Body As Sacred--the Films Of James Broughton, Especially The Golden Positions -- The Body And The Cosmos--the Films Of Ed Emshwiller -- First Digression: The Theory Of Transformation And Its Importance To Understanding The Uniqueness Of Artistic Meaning -- Ed Emshwiller's Mixed Mode Of Cinema Contrasted With The Lyrical Film -- The Body As The Universe In Stan Brakhage's Early Films -- The Body Electric: Of Wilhelm Reich And Antonin Artaud--laying The Groundwork For Carolee Schneemann's Body Art. Second Digression: A Mystical View Of The Body Under The Pervasive Influence Of Gnosticism--laying The Groundwork For Leonard Cohen's Writings On The Body And Carolee Schneemann's Films And Performances -- Leonard Cohen's Gnosticism And Its Influence On His Conception Of The Body -- The Influence Of Gnosticism On The Writings Of Antonin Artaud -- The Body Of Gnostic Energy In The Work Of Carolee Schneemann -- The Body Of Transcendental Flesh--the Films Of James Herbert -- The Cognitive Body--the Films Of Amy Greenfield And Another View Of The Films Of Stan Brakhage -- The Pneumatic Body--the Films Of Andrew Noren. R. Bruce Elder. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 381-384). Filmmaker Elder examines the work of contemporary filmmakers and poets who have investigated the range of knowledge that the body grants us, and particularly the sorts of knowledge that arise from touch, are primordial and preverbal, and elude homogenization into modernity's form of experience. He covers such filmmakers as Bruce Conner, James Broughton, Ed Emshwiller, Stan Brakhage, Carolee Schneemann, James Herbert, Amy Greenfield, Andrew Noren, and such poets as Antonin Artaud and Leonard Cohen. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR Examines how artists such as Brakhage, Artaud, Schneemann, Cohen and others have tried to recognise and to convey primordial forms of experiences. Elder argues that the attempt to convey these primordial modes of awareness demands a different conception of artistic meaning from any of those that currently dominate contemporary critical discussion.