The B Series

16mm, color, silent, 15 min
scans not available
This film is a series of five little hand-painted and elaborately step-printed sections which are individually titled but so inter-related I've decided they should always be shown in this order together, ...
Rental format: 16mm

About

This film is a series of five little hand-painted and elaborately step-printed sections which are individually titled but so inter-related I've decided they should always be shown in this order together, but each such a distinction of the essentially un-nameable subject matter they variously facet that they should retain the character of individual pieces within their shared context ... a context I've attempted to represent by a small "b" for my name "Brakhage."

The film begins with Old Testament, a two-and-a-half minute historical section titled RETROSPECT: THE PASSOVER and its evolution of forms is meant to suggest the Biblical story from which the Jewish religious rituals evolve - an essentially blue-green phosphoressence of forms finally in flight through, yes, parted seas of paint and "armies of the night," as one might put it.

BLUE BLACK: INTROSPECTION is, then, the painted meditation upon the previous section - its forms rhythmically interspersed with some stately pauses of solid thoughtful darkness, like jewels of idea embedded in black velvet. It is about two minutes in length. It begins with suggestions of "landscape."

The three-and-a-half minute BLOOD DRAMA section pulses with red, involves glyphic stitches of red amidst its phosphors of blue-greens, all forms tending to take thought-forms of the previous section through to recognition of internal body, the bloody meat of being human.

The fourth section I AM AFRAID: AND THIS IS MY FEAR is a direct reaction to the third section. The "spark" of a "sky-scape" leads to the subsequent evolution of the same forms in "mental flight," as it were. It is approximately three minutes.

The fifth section is dedicated to Gregory Markopoulos.

The fifth, and final section is the culmination of all previous visuals, the (by now) very recognizable forms of the original story, of inward speculation on narrative, of the disruption in a sense of a spill, or spell, of blood, the non-narrative thought-flight from all this, now (in Finale) becomes an almost unbearable complexity of forms taking on a beseeming "weight" or thickening of those inter-woven shapes. It is an appropriately titled three minute section called SORROWING.

This work was complexly printed off strips of film which were primarily painted in order to achieve negative color.

Films

  • Other films by this artist in our catalogue

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    Gnir Rednow
    Experimental

    Gnir Rednow
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    Desistfilm
    Experimental

    Desistfilm
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, black and white, sound, 7 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    In Between
    Experimental

    In Between
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, sound, 9.5 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Reflections on Black
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    Reflections on Black
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, black and white, sound, 12 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    The Way to Shadow Garden
    Experimental

    The Way to Shadow Garden
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, black and white, sound, 10 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    The Wonder Ring
    Experimental

    The Wonder Ring
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 4 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Loving
    Experimental

    Loving
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 4 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Nightcats
    Experimental

    Nightcats
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 8 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Daybreak & Whiteye
    Experimental

    Daybreak & Whiteye
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, black and white, sound, 8 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Anticipation of the Night
    Experimental

    Anticipation of the Night
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 40 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Window Water Baby Moving
    Experimental

    Window Water Baby Moving
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 12 min
    Rental format: 16mm
    • Body
    • Biography / Autobiography
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    Wedlock House: An Intercourse
    Experimental

    Wedlock House: An Intercourse
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, black and white, silent, 11 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Sirius Remembered
    Experimental

    Sirius Remembered
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 10.5 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Cat's Cradle
    Experimental

    Cat's Cradle
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 6 min
    Rental format: 16mm
    • Spiritual / Mystical
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    The Dead
    Experimental

    The Dead
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 11 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Centuries of June
    Experimental

    Centuries of June
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 10 min
    Rental format: 16mm
    • Landscape / Architecture
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
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    Thigh Line Lyre Triangular
    Experimental

    Thigh Line Lyre Triangular
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 9 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Prelude: Dog Star Man
    Experimental

    Prelude: Dog Star Man
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 25 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Films by Stan Brakhage: An Avant-Garde Home Movie
    Experimental

    Films by Stan Brakhage: An Avant-Garde Home Movie
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 3.5 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Blue Moses
    Experimental
    Narrative

    Blue Moses
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, black and white, sound, 10.5 min
    Rental format: 16mm
    • Spiritual / Mystical
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    Dog Star Man: Part I
    Experimental
    Narrative

    Dog Star Man: Part I
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 30 min
    Rental format: 16mm
    • Philosophical
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
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    Dog Star Man: Part II
    Experimental

    Dog Star Man: Part II
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 5.5 min
    Rental format: 16mm
    • Environment / Nature
    • Arts / Artists
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    Mothlight
    Experimental

    Mothlight
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 4 min
    Rental format: 16mm
    • Environment / Nature
    • Hand-Processed
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    Oh Life—A Woe Story—The A Test News
    Experimental

    Oh Life—A Woe Story—The A Test News
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, black and white, silent, 5 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Dog Star Man (Complete)
    Experimental

    Dog Star Man (Complete)
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 75 min
    Rental format: 16mm
    • Philosophical
    • Landscape / Architecture
    • Environment / Nature
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
    • Family
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    Dog Star Man: Part III
    Experimental

    Dog Star Man: Part III
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 7.5 min
    Rental format: 16mm
    • Environment / Nature
    • Family
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    Dog Star Man: Part IV
    Experimental

    Dog Star Man: Part IV
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 6 min
    Rental format: 16mm
    • History
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    3 Films: Blue White/Bloodstone/Vein
    Experimental

    3 Films: Blue White/Bloodstone/Vein
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 8 min
    Rental format: 16mm
    • History
    • Children / Youth
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    Black Vision
    Experimental

    Black Vision
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 2.5 min
    Rental format: 16mm
    • Psychology / Mental Health
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    Fire of Waters
    Experimental

    Fire of Waters
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, black and white, sound, 10 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Pasht
    Experimental

    Pasht
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 5 min
    Rental format: 16mm
    • Environment / Nature
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    Two: Creeley/McClure
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    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 5 min
    Rental format: 16mm
    • Philosophical
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    Zone Moment
    Experimental

    Zone Moment
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, sound, 3 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Scenes From Under Childhood: Section No. 1
    Documentary
    Experimental

    Scenes From Under Childhood: Section No. 1
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 24.5 min
    Rental format: 16mm
    • Psychology / Mental Health
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    My Mountain: Song 27
    Experimental

    My Mountain: Song 27
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 24.25 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    The Horseman, The Woman And The Moth
    Experimental

    The Horseman, The Woman And The Moth
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 19 min
    Rental format: 16mm
    • Hand-Processed
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    My Mountain: Song 27: Part 2: Rivers
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    My Mountain: Song 27: Part 2: Rivers
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 32.75 min
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    Scenes From Under Childhood: Section No. 2
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    Scenes From Under Childhood: Section No. 2
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    16mm, color, silent, 40 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Scenes From Under Childhood: Section No. 3
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    Scenes From Under Childhood: Section No. 3
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    16mm, color, silent, 27.5 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    The Weir-Falcon Saga
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    The Weir-Falcon Saga
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 29 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    The Animals of Eden and After
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    The Animals of Eden and After
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 35 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Eyes
    Experimental

    Eyes
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 35.5 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    The Machine of Eden
    Experimental

    The Machine of Eden
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 11 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Scenes From Under Childhood: Section No. 4
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    Scenes From Under Childhood: Section No. 4
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 46 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Sexual Meditation: #1 Motel
    Experimental

    Sexual Meditation: #1 Motel
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 7 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Door
    Experimental

    Door
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 3.75 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Fox Fire Child Watch
    Experimental

    Fox Fire Child Watch
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 3 min
    Rental format: 16mm
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    Sexual Meditation: Room with View
    Experimental

    Sexual Meditation: Room with View
    Stan Brakhage

    16mm, color, silent, 3 min
    Rental format: 16mm