Optical Poetry: Oskar Fischinger Retrospective
Still from Allegretto (1936-1943), 35mm film by Oskar Fischinger. (c) The Fischinger Trust, courtesy Center for Visual Music
Still from Oskar Fischinger's Kreise (Circles) (1933), 35mm, color, sound.
(c) Fischinger Trust, courtesy Center for Visual Music
Apr 09, 2010
(Oskar Fischinger, Germany/USA, 1926-47, 35mm, 70 min)
Program presented in association with Center for Visual Music and The Fischinger Archive
German-born painter and filmmaker Oskar Fischinger (1900-1967) was an enormously influential artist of the 20th century. His abstract animations- made between the 1920s and 40s- greatly expanded the possibilities of the medium of film, presenting a range of inventive, visual and temporal techniques and pioneering a new form of audio-visual art. While Fischinger’s work is rarely seen today, he has had a great effect on generations- from inspiring such experimenters as Harry Smith and John Cage to his work and influence on Disney’s Fantasia to his influence on modern motion graphics.
We’re pleased to present this retrospective of his short films, featuring restored prints of Circles (1933), Composition in Blue (1935), Allegretto (1936), Radio Dynamics (1942), Motion Painting No. 1 (1947), and many other rarely seen works. This special presentation will also feature a 35mm cinemscope composite film recreating Fischinger’s multiple-projection performances, R-1, A Form-Play, (ca. 1926-33).
