The PDX Fest, Day 5.1
Posted by: db | From: April 30, 2006
1pm Screening: David Gatten
"Secret History of the Diving Line, A True Account in Nine Parts (Parts 1-IV)"
Included: "Secret History of the Diving Line," 16mm, 20'00; "The Great Art of Knowing," 16mm, 37'00; "MOXON'S MECHANIK EXERCISES, OR, THE DOCTRINE OF HANDY-WORKS APPLIED TO THE ART OF PRINTING," 16mm, 26'00; "THE ENJOYMENT OF READING (LOST & FOUND)" 16mm, 16'00;
I'm going to skip this show to catch up with this all-consuming week of film viewing. Anyone wish to comment on these films? I know I'd like to see them, based on last years work screened by David but, alas, the need to make choices intervenes.
The film I am most disappointed about missing is "Moxon's Mechanik." Sounds quite amazing.
For PDX Fest program info on the films go here: David Gatten.
It is very rigorous work, I would like to see it again - I saw "The Great Art of Knowing" last year, made for an interesting experience this year. I actually found myself "concentrating too hard" if that's possible, I was trying to read much of the text that was onscreen - perhaps not the best strategy for viewing this work! My mind got a little tuckered out and I found myself doing the old nappy movie neck thingy for the first two films, the latter two had me rapt though.
Nonetheless hearing David speak about the body of work in it's (eventual) entirety and where the future segments will tread was fascinating and gave me a much better overall understanding of what the work is aiming towards accomplishing: can't wait till 2012!
Karl.
Posted by: karl at May 10, 2006 10:41 AM
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I did see one of the films David screened for the 2006 Fest last year so I retrieved my comments on that 2005 screening and repost them here.
The Great Art of Knowing, by David Gatten
A very rigorous yet stunningly sensual film of light and texture and fragments of biography. Contains one of the most beautiful passages of visual delicacy I have ever seen (a series of rack focuses on extreme close ups of ink and highly fibrous paper). While David Gatten spoke of very rational approaches to his subject matter in Q&A after the film, I found a deliciously alchemical quality in the work. Or, rather the work of an alchemist trying to divine secrets from fragments of research, even searching to where the ink meets the paper (base materials). A beautiful film I hope to see again.
Posted by: db at May 1, 2006 10:17 AM