JONAS MEKAS
KEN JACOBS
ROBERT BREER
JEFF SCHER
BILL MORRISON
MARTIN ARNOLD
PAULA SCHER
ORNA BRADSHAW

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KEN JACOBS
Biography


Studied painting with Hans Hofmann, 1956-57.
Started making films, 1955.
Created/Directed The Millennium Film Workshop, N.Y.C. 1966-68;
Started the Dept. of Cinema at S.U.N.Y. at Binghamton, 1969;
Professor of Cinema1974-2000;
Distinguished Prof. of Cinema, 2000-

Grants and Awards: (a selection) D.A.A.D. 1986;
Maya Deren Award 1994; J.S.
Guggenheim Fellowship 1995;
N.E.A. 1995; The Rockefeller Foundation grant 1999;
NYFA 2001;
NYSCA 2001;
NYSCA distribution grant 2002;
Fund For Jewish Documentary Filmmaking 2003;
Stan Brakhage Vision Award 2004;
Los Angeles Film Critics Association -The Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video
Award 2004

Included in the Whitney Museum of American Art, Biennial 1981, 1985, 1989,
1995, 1997, 2002
Included in The Whitney Museum of American Art, The American
Century: Art and Culture, 1950-2000, 1999-2000;
Film and film/performance restrospective, American Museum of the Moving Image 1989;
Included in the N.Y. Film Festival at Lincoln Center 1991, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003;
Partial retrospective of films and film/performance work, The American Center, Paris, 1994;
Partial retrospective of film/performance works, Museum of Modern Art, 1996;
Included in (a selection): Berlin Film Festival, 1997;
Taormina Film Festival, 1997;
London Film Festival 2000, 2003;
Rotterdam Film Festival 2001, 2003,
Filmmaker-in-focus, 2004, 2005;
Hong Kong International Film Festival, 2003, 2004;
Jeonju International Film Festival 2004;
Cinematexas International Short Film Festival 2004, Starz Denver International Film Festival 2004

Filmography

ORCHARD STREET, 1955, 12 min., clr. silent
THE WHIRLED, 1956-63, 27 min., b/w & clr., sound & silent
STAR SPANGLED TO DEATH, 1957-59, completed 2003-4, 7 hours, b/w & clr., sound
LITTLE STABS AT HAPPINESS, 1958-60, 18 min., clr., sound
BLONDE COBRA, 1959-63, 30 min., b/w & clr., sound
BAUD'LARIAN CAPERS, 1963, 25 min., silent & sound
WINDOW, 1964, 12 min., clr. silent
THE WINTER FOOTAGE, (1964-8mm.) (1985-16mm.) 50 min., clr., silent
THE SKY SOCIALIST, (1964-65 8mm.) 16mm. to be completed 2005, approx. 2
hrs., clr., sound
LISA AND JOEY IN CONNECTICUT, JANUARY '65: "YOU'VE COME BACK" "YOU'RE STILL
HERE", 1965, 18 min., clr., silent
AIRSHAFT, 1967, 4 min., clr., silent
SOFT RAIN, 1968, 12 min., clr., silent
NISSAN ARIANA WINDOW, 1968, 15 min., clr., silent
TOM, TOM, THE PIPER'S SON, 1969, 115 min., b/w, silent (distributed on PAL
vhs 2000, NTSC vhs 2002 together with a book of essays)
GLOBE, 1969, 22 min., clr., silent
URBAN PEASANTS, 1975, 50 min., b/w, silent image alternated with
sound-in-dark
SPAGHETTI AZA, 1976, 1-1/2 min., clr., silent
THE DOCTOR'S DREAM, 1978, 27 min., b/w, sound
PERFECT FILM, 1985, 27 min., b/w, sound
JERRY TAKES A BACK SEAT, THEN PASSES OUT OF THE PICTURE, 1987, 15 min.,
clr., silent
OPENING THE NINETEENTH CENTURY: 1896, 1990, 11 min., b/w, silent
KEATON'S COPS, 1991, 23 min., b/w, silent
THE GEORGETOWN LOOP, 1996, 11 min., 35mm. & 16mm., b/w, silent
DISORIENT EXPRESS, 1996, 30 min., 35mm. & 16mm., b/w, silent;

Videography

FLO ROUNDS A CORNER, 1999, 6 min., clr., silent, digital computer work;
A TOM TOM CHASER, 2002, 10-1/2 min., b/w, silent, digital computer work;
CIRCLING ZERO: Part One WE SEE ABSENCE, 2002, 114 min., clr., sound, video
KEEPING AN EYE ON STAN, 2003, 117 min., clr., sound, video
CELESTIAL SUBWAY LINES/SALVAGING NOISE, 2004, 108 min., clr., music by John Zorn assisted by Ikue Mori
MOUNTAINEER SPINNING, 2004, 26 min., clr., music by Rick Reed

Theater Works: (a selection) all involved shadowplay or film (all approx. 90
min.)

THE BIG BLACKOUT OF '65: Chapter One "Thirties Man", 1965
RESTFUL MOMENTS, 2 and 3-Dimensional shadowplay, 1970
A GOOD NIGHT FOR THE MOVIES: 4th OF JULY BY CHARLES IVES BY KEN JACOBS, 1972
A MAN'S HOME IS HIS CASTLE FILMS: THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS, 1974
"SLOW IS BEAUTY" -RODIN, 2 and 3-Dimensional shadowplay, 1974; MUMOK, Vienna, 2004
THE BOXER REBELLION, 2 and 3-Dimensional shadowplay, 1975
AIR OF INCONSEQUENCE, 3-Dimensional shadowplay, 1977
Ken Jacobs At The Console Performing STICK TO YOUR CARPENTRY AND YOU WON'T
GET NAILED, 1979
AUDIO-VISUAL VAUDEVILLE, 2 and 3-Dimensional shadowplay, 1982, 1994, 2000

Film/Performance (THE NERVOUS SYSTEM; a unique double-analysis projector set-up, deriving 3-D from standard 2-D film, most often archival and other found footage) (all approximate time)
THE IMPOSSIBLE: Chapter One "Southwark Fair", 1975, (1 hr.)
THE IMPOSSIBLE: Chapter Two "1896", 1979, (11 min.)
THE IMPOSSIBLE: Chapter Three "Hell Breaks Loose", 1980, (25 min.)
THE IMPOSSIBLE: Chapter Four "Schilling", 1980, (1 hr.)
THE IMPOSSIBLE: Chapter Five "The Wrong Laurel", 1980, (7 min.)
XCXHXEXRXRXIXEXSX, 1980, (90 min.)
KEN JACOBS THEATER OF UNCONSCIONABLE STUPIDITY PRESENTS CAMERA THRILLS OF
THE WAR, 1981, (90 min.)
THE WHOLE SHEBANG, 1982, (70 min.)
MAKING LIGHT OF HISTORY: THE PHILIPPINES ADVENTURE, 1983, (90 min.)
TWO WRENCHING DEPARTURES, 1989, (2 hrs.)
THE SUBCINEMA, 1990, (2 hrs.)
NEW YORK GHETTO FISHMARKET 1903, 1993 (90 min.)
BITEMPORAL VISION: THE SEA, 1994, (90 min.)
THE MARRIAGE OF HEAVEN AND HELL (A Flicker Of Life), 1995 (90 min.)
LOCO MOTION, 1996, (25 min.)
FROM MUYBRIDGE TO BROOKLYN BRIDGE, 1996 (includes "Muybridge On Wheels" (animated slides), "The Georgetown Loop" (film), "Loco Motion" (Nervous System work), "Disorient Express" (film), "On The Bridge" (Nervous System work)
COUPLING, 1996 (1 hr.)
ONTIC ANTICS STARRING LAUREL AND HARDY, 1997 (1 hr.)
NEW YORK STREET TROLLEYS 1900, 1997 (25 min.)
UN PETIT TRAIN DE PLAISIR, 1998 (25 min.)

Performance (THE NERVOUS MAGIC LANTERN; single projector utilizing neither film nor video)
CRYSTAL PALACE (Chandeliers For The People), 2000 (40 min.)
A PLACE WHERE THERE IS NO TROUBLE, 2002 (1 hr.)
LOCAL HUBBLE (For Marilyn and Stan Brakhage), April 2003 (1 hr.)
LOCAL HUBBLE II: La Conference Des Oiseaux, March 2004 (1 hr.)
CELESTIAL SUBWAY Last Stop All Out (music by Black Dice), March 2004, (1 hr.)
CELESTIAL SUBWAY (music by John Zorn assisted by Ikue Mori) May 2004 (45 min.)
SEEING IS BELIEVING (music by Rick Reed) September 2004 (1 hr.)
SALVAGING NOISE (music by John Zorn assisted by Ikue Mori) October, 2004 (1 hr.)
INTERSTELLAR LOWER EAST SIDE RAMBLE 2005. USA. Nervous System performance by Jacobs; musical accompaniment by Zorn and Ikue. (90 min.)
REPETITONS Group Show, Maya Stendhal Gallery, NY