Slow Glass and other films

Wry and formally ingenious, John Smith’s films are playful explorations of the language of cinema and thought-provoking reflections on the image’s role in politics, war, and the global economy. The 2013 Jarman Award winner will screen and discuss a selection of films from throughout his career including Slow Glass (1988-91), an exploration of memory, perception and change through the stories of a nostalgic glazier; Blight (1994-96) a stunning montage depicting the destruction of a London street to make way for new roads; and Pyramids / Skunk (Hotel Diaries #5) (2006-07), in which a chocolate bar in a Rotterdam hotel room eventually reminds the filmmaker that there are important things going on in the world outside. (76 minutes)

Since 1972, British artist John Smith has made more than 50 film, video, and installation works which have shown around the world. He has been the subject of retrospectives at film festivals in Oberhausen, Germany; Tampere, Finland; St. Petersburg, Russia; Mexico City; Uppsala, Sweden; Cork, Ireland; Karlstad, Sweden; Winterthur, Switzerland; and Glasgow, Scotland, among others. He is Professor of Fine Art at the University of East London. In 2011 he received a Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Artists, and in 2013 he was the winner of Film London’s Jarman Award. His work is held in numerous collections including Arts Council England, Tate Gallery, Ella Fontanals-Cisneros, Kunstmuseum Magdeburg, Ferens Art Gallery, and Wolverhampton Art Gallery.

Presented in collaboration with the Video Data Bank, Northwestern University's Department of Art Theory and Practice, and Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art. Followed by reception.