From: Esperanza Collado (email suppressed)
Date: Fri Jan 09 2009 - 08:46:51 PST
Hello Andy,
Your email is very exciting, thank you. I have indeed seen Ray Gun Virus
and, even though at the time I wasn't fully aware of such technical details
in terms of projector alteration etc, I can say that it indeed utilizes
strong flicker, extremely powerful, therefore the title of this film.
I hope Bill Brand, who is in this list and worked as Sharits' assistant in
the 70s, can help here.
As for the connections between Burroughs and Sharits I have never read this,
although I have written about it. The most obvious, perhaps too obvious,
common approach would be the cut, the shock and that kind of gaseous
perception Deleuze
writes about in his Cinema 2. This is obviously very connected too to the
nervous system, and how luminous intermittence
affects neuro-physiological vibrations. This type of effect is the same, or
at least very similar, to the one generated by the Dream Machine.
What most interests me here is the importance of the body (the spectator's
body), and how his type of cinema functions as a balanced correlate of body
and brain. Antonin Artaud writings are significant to this respect too. How
beautiful to think of epilepsy in these terms !
At the moment I have my Sharits catalogue lent, otherwise I would be looking
for such reference for you. Ferociously, e v e n (if it exists).
i recently met someone who knew Sharits and apparently his films reflected
very accurately his personality LOL.
However, I would be delighted to send you what I've written about flicker
cinema if needed.
All the best,
e.
2009/1/9 Andy Ditzler <email suppressed>
> Doing research for an upcoming screening, I've recently seen Paul Sharits
> mentioned a couple of times in the context of William Burroughs's cut-ups
> and Brion Gysin's Dreamachine. His Fluxfilm "Word Movie," the title of "Ray
> Gun Virus," and the soundtrack of "T,O,U,C,H,I,N,G" could very well be
> references to various concerns of Burroughs, but I'm wondering if this is
> coincidence or if Sharits ever talked about an explicit Burroughs influence.
> If anyone who knew Sharits could explain, I would be grateful.
>
> Having never seen Ray Gun Virus, I'm wondering if anyone can "enlighten" me
> as to whether it utilizes strong flicker, in the manner of Piece Mandala or
> T,O,U,C,H,I,N,G.
>
> Thanks for any pointers.
>
>
>
> Andy Ditzler
>
> Frequent Small Meals
>
> Atlanta, GA
>
> www.frequentsmallmeals.com
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________________________ For info
> on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.
>
>
-- -----------------Esperanza Collado __________________________________________________________________ For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.