Views from the Avant-Garde premieres experimental films from the frontiers of cinematic possibility.
above: ganymede
The Galilean Satellites(Courtney Hoskins, U.S., 2003; 26m)
The Galilean Satellites is a series of four films that explore the four large moons of Jupiter discovered by Galileo Galilei on January 7, 1610 : Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. The discovery of these satellites disproved the then-popular geocentric model of the heavens, turning the world of Astronomy upside down, and laid the groundwork for our current understanding of the solar system.
The Galilean Satellites are complex dynamic bodies that are highly influenced by their surroundings. Their close proximity to Jupiter encourages their individual personalities. The Giant planet's gravitational forces produce tidal effects on the moons, warming them and provoking tectonic activity. Magnetic radiation from the gas giant interacts with their atmospheres, creating auroras and storms.
This series of four films is a personal response to and reflection on working in the close orbit of Stan Brakhage, whose mass of work and gravity of being rivaled that of Jove himself. His works turned the world of cinema inside out and honestly portrayed the complexity of the spectrum of human emotions. The series is also a reflection on my relationships with those fellow Coloradoan "satellites" with whom I feel a close bond through our shared cinematic and human experiences.
These films were made through a similar manipulation of dynamic materials. Materials in a delicate phase of matter - liquid crystal - were pushed to their individual limits by bending, pressing and heating. The changes provoked by these forces - strange and subtle changes in visible light - were recorded on film. The result is an exploration of plastic materials in a plastic medium. The optical soundtrack consists of a recording made in the invisible part of the electromagnetic spectrum: radio recordings of Io, Ganymede and Jupiter from NASA's Galileo and Voyager missions, also manipulated to express the personalities of these moons.
Though astronomy is primarily explored in this series of films, the mythology surrounding the names is also somewhat considered in the imagery:
"Jupiter is much blamed by the poets on account of his irregular loves. Three maidens are especially mentioned as having been clandestinely courted by Jupiter with success. Io, daughter of the River, Inachus, Callisto of Lycaon, Europa of Agenor. Then there was Ganymede, the handsome son of King Tros, whom Jupiter, having taken the form of an eagle, transported to heaven on his back, as poets fabulously tell . . . . I think, therefore, that I shall not have done amiss if the First is called by me Io, the Second Europa, the Third, on account of its majesty of light, Ganymede, the Fourth Callisto . . . .This fancy, and the particular names given, were suggested to me by Kepler, Imperial Astronomer, when we met at Ratisbon fair in October 1613. So if, as a jest, and in memory of our friendship then begun, I hail him as joint father of these four stars, again I shall not be doing wrong." - Simon Marius (who also observed the four moons, but after Galileo. Galileo is given credit for the discovery of the moons and Maius was given the honor of naming them.)
above: europa
EUROPA - 8.5 minutes, 16mm, color, sound
The stretch marks on her surface belie her icy exterior. They say she bares life and this is the proof: a hatch-marked pattern of scars across her body caused by the turbulence beneath. Her core is warmed by the pushing and pulling influences of Jupiter and her sister moons, but she keeps distance enough to keep her frozen facade while her melted inner self does a dance: one, two, rise. Three, four, fall. Five, out, six, in, descend and rise again - life from motion.
"Europa" was made by animating dish soap with the grooves in my fingertips. It also contains live-action Super-8 footage. The soundtrack comes from radio signals received from the atmosphere of Jupiter.
IO - 13 minutes, 16mm, color, sound
Io's story is one of transformation. The most volcanically active body in the solar system, her constantly changing surface reflects her fear and anger. Transformed into a white heifer, to be kept a secret, Io is tormented, bitten and chased by the gadfly sent by the savvy Juno. She sighs and groans exhaustedly as she flicks and runs, she glows beautifully from the heat of pressure and friction, as she is pulled apart and renewed with every violent eruption.
This film was made by stretching and manipulating ("tormenting") plastic wrap. The soundtrack was also stretched and manipulated, the original material being derived from signals from Io's atmosphere.
GANYMEDE - 3.5 minutes, 16mm, black and white and color, sound
Jupiter kidnapped Ganymede, the beautiful shepherd boy, to keep him forever in his orbit. Ganymede lives eternally, though loses his physical youthfulness. His surface is alternately roughly cratered and smoothly ridged. The largest of the four satellites, Ganymede is the cup bearer of the Gods. The structure of the film reflects the fluid movement and dance of light in a fluid, yet somehow solid, medium.
This film was made by bending, scratching and punching holes into clear ESTAR film, which is a liquid crystalline material (a state of matter that lies between liquid and solid). The soundtrack is an original signal from the magnetosphere of the moon itself. The film also contains black and white photos from NASA's website.
CALLISTO - 3 minutes, 16mm, color, sound
Callisto keeps her distance from Jupiter, her brothers, and her sisters. Her distance from Jupiter makes her vulnerable to attacks from the meteors that Jupiter's great mass attracts. Hers is the most heavily cratered body in our solar system. Because of her size and Jupiter's luminous presence, these craters seem to glow with a light from within, exposing and beautifying her dusty and scarred surface. Her name comes from kalliste meaning "most beautiful."
"Callisto" was made by placing frothy liquid crystal paint onto orange film leader. The colors in the film were achieved by manipulating the light bending properties of the paint with the heat from the projection lamp and the coolness from the evaporation of rubbing alcohol.
No pigments or dyes were used in the making of these films. All colors exist by grace of the unique optical effects of the materials used and without the camera and its filters would be absolutely colorless. Images and sounds from NASA/JPL/Caltech were used with permission.
