Experimental Spring

Lots of things are coming up in the Nervousfilms studio...! And lots of these things are in conjunction with my beloved EMPAC (Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center of Troy NY)! First up Jem Cohen, a filmmaker whose work I have long adored, is debuting a new film project up in Troy at the end of this week! It is titled We Have An Anchor and features footage from his trips to awe inspiring Nova Scotia. Accompanying this film will be a super group of live musicians including Jim White, Guy Picciotto, members of Montreal bands Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Silver Mt. Zion and Todd Griffin of the Brooklyn based The Quavers. We're going to this show and everyone else needs to go too! The preview (embedded directly below!) alone is making me full of joy!


Following this we are installing Brent's new film-within-a-sculpture, made in residency at EMPAC, at a gallery in NYC. The way this piece is constructed (layers of deconstructed lcd screens whose images interact on multiple planes visible through polarizer? make any sense at all?) means that the film won't be available in any other form so viewing possibilities are a bit on the limited side...meaning you should come see To Many Men Strange Fates Are Given!  And you should also come take a look at some of my new welding capabilities which will be on display as part of this piece!!!

Immediately following this installation Brent & I, along with members of our most recent touring band, will be heading back up to EMPAC to record a live version of our feature film Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then!!!!! This live edited version is part of a DVD series of performance art that the arts center is planning on releasing. Interspersed with clips from the film and video of the live improvised soundtrack we'll be recording while there, it will mark the only version (apart from the limited art editions of course!) available for viewing. The best part about this is that we can (finally) share the film in some form with a wider audience, so thrilled to be doing this! Especially with an organization that supports so much work I admire!

Then we hang out in Troy a little longer so Brent can give input on a student's final MFA project at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute-- aka the home of EMPAC! The student, Sena Clara Creston, makes magical mechanical sculptures that bring to mind sweet imaginary worlds of nostalgia! Tech art with heart, I love it! So, a very Experimental Performing Arts Spring has arrived here at Nervousfilms, along with all of the finishing welds of a long studio project! Speaking of which, here is a pic of a weld! And the table I made it on! And welders, please don't be too harsh on my novice welding, you seem to be an opinionated bunch who, according to many an antagonistic message board post/critique, have an inordinate amount of 5 year olds able to make better welds than most adults...? Hmmm...still glad to be among you...especially the nice ones, which there are also plenty of!