The Second: Stan Brakhage

With Stan Brakhage's work being so abstract and non-narrative, what could be the underlying theme or message that he hopes to deliver through his art?


It seems to me that Brakhage is caught up in the art of chaos. His work consists mostly of individually painted frames of glass (according to Prof. Packer) that when spliced together create a collage of hallucinogenic colors and forms. It is clear with his piece "The Dante Quartet" that Brakhage is depicting Hell and what it would most likely be like for him: a dazzling world of nothing but abstract colors that awe and disorient. He really seems to be caught up in the chaos of colors and the relationship between colors, space, and time which when put all together is nothing short of organized chaos.

The First

John Cage is obviously a very smart and talented individual, and I am quite impressed with almost all of his work. His dynamic approach to chance-specific artwork is a wildly unique, however a little off putting for the first time viewer. For anyone used to mainstream artwork that follows a generic and almost global set of standards regarding form and flow, Cage's work will be comparable to an artistic train wreck. However, after watching One11 and seeing the follow-up documentary, it is clear that when it comes to John Cage, we must throw tradition out the window and embrace the unfamiliar. One11, while not my personal favorite, is spectacular in it's concept. Cage is successfully able to fill an entire 90 minute film with nothing but sound and light. And how is that different from any other film you might ask? Well, Cage has ONLY sound that he himself composed coupled with moving footage of light projected onto the walls of a television studio. There are no actors, there is no plot, and there is nothing material to be seen.
I can fully respect what Cage has done here and the intricacy involved, however to be honest, it was not my cup of tea. It is entirely possible that I come from a generation that thrives on fast-paces and sensationalism, so watching lights on a wall just doesn't do it for me, but who knows. Regardless, One11 is quite phenomenal.