Beginning with a fragment of found footage, Parting uses roto-scoping and painted animation to model an imaginary cycle of moving images. Waltzing figures, drawn from a selection of film frames, are painted and expanded into an endless loop only to be broken when the film itself runs off the gate. The work creates a succession of images which foreground the polyrhythmic and contrasting temporal features inherent in the analog to challenge the portrayal of a fixed cinematic time. Passages of sound gleaned from 78-rpm records of the 1920s are processed through radio transmitters and custom software to create a whispered sonic counterpoint accentuating both the shifting surface and spatial depth of the frame.
Awarded for the first time this fall, the Georges-Laoun-Opticien-OBORO Super Short Film Prize rewards an artist for a short film of less then three minutes. Making good use of their shared neighborhood and common patronage of the arts, Georges Laoun Opticien and OBORO have come together to create this prize that combines a cash award ($1000) and services at the OBORO New Media Lab ($2000 value) as well as a public screening in Georges Laoun Opticien’s shop window. The prize will return next year: watch this call for applications!