WHY I STOPPED MAKING EXPERIMENTAL FILMS

I received this e-mail today concerning my recent posting on Bruce Conner's "Looking For Mushrooms"--

I am writing on behalf of Jean Conner, wife of the late Bruce Conner
and rights holder to all of his art and films. I have just viewed
your blog with Bruce Conner's LOOKING FOR MUSHROOMS available for
download, which must be removed immediately.

I understand this was posted as an homage and an effort to share his
work, however, Bruce Conner was strictly opposed to ever having his
work on the internet. He felt It destroyed his aesthetics, the
image quality, and the experience of the work itself. This is not an
appropriate way to revere Bruce Conner. Due to this clear violation
of copyright, this is an order to cease and desist. If this is not
addressed immediately, the Conner Family will pursue further action to
have this removed. I have informed the Kohn Gallery of the intent
for illegal duplication of the DVD which they have produced of
CROSSROADS and LOOKING FOR MUSHROOMS.

Please remove all contents of this page and any reference to this
material.

Regards,

Michelle Silva, on behalf of Jean Conner
The Conner Family Trust

My first response, as with any request I've received from an artist or representative, was to remove the offending material immediately as requested. In the past I've had no issues with the methods used in bringing the objection to my attention, but the threatening tone of this one along with some idiotic reasoning just made me need to address this.

This is a perfect example of why experimental film is now a dead genre. The egos, greed and uber-formalism of people like Conner, Brakhage and others of their generation resulted in comments like this:

Bruce Conner was strictly opposed to ever having his work on the internet. He felt It destroyed his aesthetics, the image quality, and the experience of the work itself.

Bullshit. You can't experience art in a vacuum, and these idiots destroyed any possibility of future audiences appreciating their work. First it was "oh, my films are meant to be watched on film only, never video". Well, guess what--Kodak isn't even going to be making film stock to make prints pretty soon. Then some gallery throws a bunch of money and faux-prestige their way, and suddenly it's ok to show your work on video. As long as you can charge $40 a copy for two short films.

Oh and, hate to break it to you, but soon EVERYTHING WILL BE DIGITAL AND ON COMPUTERS. Film is dead, video is on its way out. Deal with it, evolve, or the works of people like Bruce Conner will be forgotten.

It's this neophobia and unwillingness to embrace future technologies that killed experimental film as a viable art form and there's no reason for it. Art is about sharing, growing, trying new things (it is called "experimental" film after all....) and attitudes like this are what stiffle and kill creativity and what will make works like "Looking For Mushrooms" eventually obsolete except to the elitists. It's a damn shame.

VON COSEL/SOLAH/GROVEL - SATURDAY SEPT 20TH



Yours truly will be performing in two of my musical projects, Von Cosel and Solah, on Saturday, September 20th at the Radio Bean in Burlington. This will be the second and final performace of the Von Cosel "Songs For Elena" concept EP. Also sharing the bill will be Grovel, a new side-project by Matt Mayer of A Snake In the Garden.

The show starts at midnight and there is no cover. Hope to see you there!

SPITTING OUT TEETH RADIO SHOW - RECENT PLAYLISTS

I haven't been updating the playlists for my radio show very often lately, so here are the last seven shows.


EPISODE 15: 05/24/08

Sea of Bones, "Chapter Four" (from "The Harvest")
Atrax Morgue, "Evisceration" (from "Sickness Report")
Damaar, "Ode To Blasphemhy" (from "Triumph Through Spears of Sacrifice")
Faryus, "Lucid Dream" (from "Lucid Dreams")
Sachiko, "Dmu-Dbud Kam-Po So-Zan" (from "Kunado")
Monos, "Moon Environment" (from "Nightfall Sunshine")

EPISODE 16: 05/31/08

Ascend, "Ample Fire Within" (from "Ample Fire Within")
SPK, "Kaltbruchig Acideath" (from "Information Overload Unit")
Terje Isungset, "Contemplation" (from "Ice Concerts")
Robedoor & Pocahaunted, "Spectral Outpost" (from "Hunted Gathering")
Stefano Pilia, "Untitled" (from "The Suncrows Fall And Tree")
Lustmord, "Dark Companion" (from "The Place Where the Black Stars Hang")

EPISODE 17: 06/07/08

Grails, "Clean Living" (from "Take Refuge in Clean Living")
Stravm Terror, "Human Afflictions" (from "Pariah Demise")
Markus Guentner, "Chrom" (from "Regensburg Remix")
Cloama, "Tuhkajumala" (from "Neuroscan Organization")
Oren Ambarchi, "Highway of Diamonds" (from "Destinationless Desire")
Blacksand, "U1195" (from "Barn")
Slow Listener, "Polarity Magnetics" (from "Snow Falling From a Blue Clear Sky")

EPISODE 18: 06/14/08

Pentemple, "Pazuzu II" (from "Presents")
The Body, "Final Words" (from "The Body")
Nadja, "Sandskin" (from "Bodycage")
Martin Hannett, "Lift Recording I & II" (from "Martin Hannett Personal Mixes")
Sujo, "Observer" (from "Sujo")

EPISODE 19: 06/21/08

David Jackman, "Edge of Nothing", "Povera 1", "Povera 2" (from "Compilation")
David Jackman, "Untitled A", "Untitled B" (from "Eisen")
David Jackman, "Ember Hollow", "Dawn Plaza" (from "Ember Hollow/Dawn Plaza")
David Jackman, "Flag of Surrender", "Fracture" (from "Flag of Surrender")
David Jackman, "Flak", "Wietzendorf" (from "Flak")
David Jackman, "Laus A", "Laus B", (from "Laus)
David Jackman, "Machine Gun (A)", "Machine Gun (B)" (from "Machine Guns")

EPISODE 20: 07/19/08

Brian Eno, "The Secret Place" (from "Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks")
Lustmord, "Of Eons" (from "Other")
NON, "The Underground Stream" (from "Children of the Black Sun")
Mort Art, "Sewage Dreams" (from "Green Death")
The Caretaker, "On the Edge of Breakdown" (from "A Stairway to the Stars")
Wolfskin feat. Objekt4, "Bleeding Suns" (from "The Hidden Fortress: A Revisitation")
Nordvargr, "Stripped Of All But My Loyalty I Serve" (from "Pyrrhula")
Mrtyu, "Pyre" (from "Blood Tantra")
Koeff, "I Can Hear You" (from "Performance Anthology")
Ophir, "Ar-Si-Za 5" (from "Eiserne Ernte: Werkschau II")
Black Seas of Infinity, "Porta Vox Umbra" (from "AMRITA - The Quintessence")
Northaunt, "Lost Days" (from "Barren Land")
Zdzis Beks, "Namtilliak" (from "Sub Figura")
Deathprod, "Nebulizer" (from "6-Track")
Dead City Rituals, "III" (from "I-VI")
David Lynch & Jocelyn Montgomery, "Battle and Aftermath" (from "Lux Vivens")
Jeff Greinke, "Crevice" (from "Cities in Fog")

EPISODE 21: 07/26/08

Nanohex, "Alpha Decay" (from "Compilation")
Propergol, "La Vie en Rose" (from "Renegade")
The Skull Defekts, "Drone Drug" (from "Drone Drug")
Black Seas of Infinity, "Bornless, I Have Become" (from "The Wordless Aeon...")
Lawrence English, "Lone By Power Station" (from "Kiri No Oto")
AEP, "II" (from "Noir Voyage Ostrue de Rencontres Difformes")

EPISODE 22: 08/02/08

P.Children, "Altercation" (from "P.Children 4")
Ahtapkhea, "Kohbon Clopepa" (from "Basa 211")
Odal, "W.Tax Is Not a Psychokiller" (from "Against Humanity")
Whitehouse, "Boston Strangler" (from "Psychopathia Sexualis")
Ramleh, "Prossneck" (from "The Hand of Glory")
Illusion of Safety, "Theme from Belfast Street Riot" (from "In 70 Countries")
Subhuman, "Untitled" (from "Untitled II")
Droin, "Marching East" (from "Time to Reconsider")
Hunok, "End of the Great Migration" (from "Gesta Hungarorum")
Musterion, "Tannhauser Gate" (from "The Black Lodge")
Symbiosis, "The Coldness Inside" (from "Passages")
Necrophorous, "Lost Land Part 2" (from "Drifting in Motion")