James Whitney

Directed by James Whitney.

Animated short directed by James Whitney.

James Whitney’s Lapis (1966) is a classic work of abstract cinema, a 10-minute animation that took three years to create using primitive computer equipment. In this piece smaller circles oscillate in and out in an array of colors resembling a kaleidoscope while being accompanied with Indian sitar music. The patterns become hypnotic and trance inducing. This work clearly correlates the auditory and the visual and is a wonderful example of the concept of synaesthesia.

High Voltage is constructed from footage James Whitney contributed to Belson for use in one of his Vortex concerts.

From the novel "Direct Theory" written by Edward Small, excerpt from pg.64: Completed in 1957, less than ten minutes long, Yantra is questionably catalogued as abstract. Witness Brakhage's concept of closed-eye vision and our generic attribute of experimental film/video's affinity for mental imagery.

Opens with a short canonical statement of a theme upon which the entire film is constructed. The canon is repeated in contrasting variations by means of color. A second section poses the same image in deep film space. The image unfolds itself repeatedly, leaving the receding image to continue on smaller and smaller.

The entire film is divided into four consecutive chosen approaches—the fourth section devoted to a reiteration and extension of the original material.

Two short fragments resulting from experiments in controlling the mechanical development of the instrument.

Begins with a three beat announcement drawn out in time which thereafter serves as a figure to divide the four sections. Each return of this figure is more condensed, and finally used in reverse to conclude the film.

A film by James Whitney.

First film by the Whitney brothers.