Paul Sharits: An Open Cinema

10/5/11 to 10/13/11

Paul Sharits (1943–93) trained in painting and graphic design before turning to film, a background apparent throughout his work, which juxtaposes intense pulses of color with repeated words or sound tones, and often takes the form of multiprojector pieces or installations. This retrospective, featuring many new preservation prints, surveys Sharits's career as he continuously evolves what it means to “open up” the cinematic medium.

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  • Upcoming
    Films
  • Upcoming
    Events
  • Selected
    Objects
  • Past
    Films
  • Past
    Events

Past Films

  • Paul Sharits: Early Work

    Wednesday, October 5 7:30 pm
    Paul Sharits (U.S., 1966–1971). Introduced by Federico Windhausen. Sharits's early films make provocative reference to sexuality, violence, and self-destruction amidst striking formal experimentation. Includes Razor Blades, Word Movie/Flux Film, and T,O,U,C,H,I,N,G, and Inferential Current. (50 mins)
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  • Paul Sharits: Midcareer Work

    Wednesday, October 12 7:30pm
    Paul Sharits (U.S., 1973–76). Introduced by Jennifer Pranolo. Sharits's midcareer films were meant to push perceptual limits, “so that one cannot tell whether or not what one is experiencing is in the work or in oneself.” Includes Analytical Studies III, Shutter Interface, and Tails. (50 mins)
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  • Paul Sharits: Late Work

    Thursday, October 13 7:30pm
    Paul Sharits (U.S., 1975–82). Introduced by Branden W. Joseph. Towards the end of his career, Sharits turned to visceral icons of pathology and decay, juxtaposing the disintegration of the body and the decomposition of the filmic material. Includes Epileptic Seizure Comparison, Apparent Motion, and 3rd Degree. (71 mins)
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