Solar Sight

Best known for his singular cutout animation style, the films of avant-garde great Lawrence Jordan channel the unconscious to construct surrealist dream-like distortions of imaginary rituals. Found graphics of animals, objects and characters come alive against backdrops of drawings and engravings by masters like Gustav Doré. Collaborator with Stan Brakhage, assistant and friend of Joseph Cornell, and co-founder of Canyon Cinema, Jordan has championed the use of film as a vehicle for personal expression from coast to coast for over six decades. Jordan will introduce a program featuring celebrated films from through out his career paired with the premiere of his new work Solar Sight, Parts 1 and 2.  In partnership with Conversations At The Edge, screening a program of Jordan's work on Thursday, Nov. 8 at the Gene Siskel Film Center.

Jordan will bring animation models from his work for a demonstration following the screening and discussion.

Solar Sight, Parts 1 and 2 (2011, 16mm, 15 min)
Chateau Poyet (2004, 16mm, 6 min)
The Visible Compendium (1991, 16mm, 17min)
Moonlight Sonata (1979, 16mm, 5 min)
Orb (1973, 16mm, 5 min)
Waterlight (1957, 16mm, 8min)

(total running time: 56min)

Lawrence Jordan is an independent filmmaker who has been working in the Bay Area in California since 1955, and making films since 1952. He has produced some 40 experimental and animation films, and three feature-length dramatic films. He is most widely known for his animated collage films. In 1970 he received a Guggenheim award to make Sacred Art of Tibet, and his animation has shown by invitation at the Cannes Film Festival. Jordan is one of the founding directors of Canyon Cinema Cooperative, and he has shown films and lectured throughout the country.