Philip Stewart Solomon(January 3, 1954 – April 20, 2019) was an Americanexperimental filmmakernoted for his work with both film and video. In recent years, Solomon had earned acclaim for a series of films that incorporatemachinimamade using games from theGrand Theft Autoseries.[1][2]His films are often described as haunting[2][3]and lyrical.[4]
Phil Solomon | |
|---|---|
| Born | Philip Stewart Solomon January 3, 1954 |
| Died | April 20, 2019(aged 65) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Binghamton UniversityMassachusetts College of Art |
| Known for | Experimental film,Machinima |
Biography
editOriginally from New York City, Solomon attendedBinghamton University[5]and received a Masters of Fine Arts from theMassachusetts College of Art.One of Solomon's instructors was the experimental filmmakerKen Jacobs,who started his first class with a screening ofTony Conrad's filmThe Flicker.Solomon initially disliked the film, but the experience, followed by a screening of his future collaboratorStan Brakhage'sBlue Moses,had a profound impact on his development as a filmmaker.[5]Another formative experience came in the form of a lecture by critic Fred Camper on Brakhage'sAnticipation of the Night.[5]
Solomon began making films in 1975. He later destroyed some of his early works,[5]many of which were made in imitation of Brakhage.
Solomon had been teaching at theUniversity of Coloradosince 1991.
Solomon died on April 20, 2019, from complications following surgery at the age of 65.[6][7]
Career
editSolomon was an associate of the influential American experimental filmmakerStan Brakhage,with whom he taught film at theUniversity of ColoradoinBoulder.Solomon and Brakhage collaborated on three films. In a 1992 poll for the British film magazineSight & Sound,Brakhage picked Solomon'sRemains to Be Seenas one of the ten greatest films of all time.[8]The film had previously been selected as one of the top ten films of 1989 by theVillage Voice.[9]
Solomon was awarded aGuggenheim Fellowshipin 1994.[10]In 2007, he was the recipient of the Thatcher Hoffman Smith Award from the University of Oklahoma.[11]In 2012 Solomon received the Knight Fellowship of the USA (United States Artists) Fellows program, alongside novelistAnnie Proulx,sculptorAlison Saar,jazz musicianJack DeJohnette,dancer and choreographerTrisha Brown,and artistTheaster Gates.[12]
On April 10, 2010, Solomon'sAmerican Fallsopened at theCorcoran Gallery of Artin Washington, D.C. The six-projection video/sound installation received great acclaim before closing in July 2010. In conjunction with the Corcoran exhibition, Solomon's career as a filmmaker was explored in "Rhapsodies in Silver," a three-program survey at Washington'sNational Gallery of Art.[13]
A re-edited, feature-length, single-projection version ofAmerican Fallswas featured at the New York Film Festival's "Views from the Avant Garde" on October 1, 2010. The single projection version of the film condenses the original multi-projector format into a triptych, placing three independent (yet associative) images next to one another. In Fall 2012, Solomon screened a three-channel version ofAmerican Fallsat theMuseum of the Moving Imagein Astoria, New York, as part of the exhibition "Film After Film."[14]
In the May/June 2010Film Commentpoll, The Top 50 Avant-Garde Filmmakers of the Decade, Phil Solomon placed at number 5, tied with his late colleague, Stan Brakhage.[15]
Preservation
editSolomon's films have been housed at theAcademy Film Archivesince 2005, and they have preserved several of his films, includingAs If WeTwilight Psalm I: The Lateness of the HourandWhat's Out Tonight Is Lost.[16]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Notes | Ref(s). |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-1980 | The Passage of the Bride | ||
| 1980 | Nocturne | ||
| 1983 | What's Out Tonight Is Lost | ||
| 1988 | The Secret Garden | ||
| 1989/1994 | The Exquisite Hour | ||
| Remains to Be Seen | |||
| 1992 | Clepsydra | ||
| 1994 | Elementary Phrases | withStan Brakhage | |
| 1995 | The Snowman | ||
| 1996 | Concrescence | with Stan Brakhage | |
| 1999 | Psalm I: "The Lateness of the Hour" | ||
| Psalm II: "Walking Distance" | |||
| 2000-2012 | American Falls | ||
| 2002 | Psalm III: "Night of the Meek" | ||
| Seasons... | with Stan Brakhage | ||
| 2005 | Crossroad | with Mark LaPore | |
| 2007 | Rehearsals for Retirement | ||
| Last Days In a Lonely Place | |||
| 2008 | Still Raining, Still Dreaming | ||
| 2013 | The Emblazoned Apparitions | ||
| Psalm IV: "Valley of the Shadow" |
References
edit- ^Reprinted from Cinemascope #30: Phil Solomon Visits San Andreas and Escapes, Not Unscathed: Notes on Two Recent Works.Academichack.net. Retrieved on January 6, 2012.
- ^abWexner Center for the Arts: Phil SolomonArchivedFebruary 12, 2012, at theWayback Machine.Wexarts.org (October 1, 2008). Retrieved on January 6, 2012.
- ^Phil Solomon at REDCAT
- ^CNYPG: Phil Solomon.Cinema.cornell.edu. Retrieved on January 6, 2012.
- ^abcdCinemad: Interview with Phil Solomon.Cinemad.iblamesociety (November 18, 2005). Retrieved on January 6, 2012.
- ^Genzlinger, Neil (May 2019)."Phil Solomon, Leading Experimental Filmmaker, is Dead at 65".The New York Times.
- ^Harris, Kyle."RIP: Phil Solomon, Experimental Filmmaker and CU Professor".Westword.RetrievedApril 22,2019.
- ^"The Directors' Top Ten Movie Choices".Sight & Sound.1992. Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2004.RetrievedNovember 19,2024.
- ^Canyon Cinema: The Films of Phil SolomonArchivedSeptember 7, 2008, at theWayback Machine
- ^Creative Capital: Philip S. SolomonArchivedAugust 8, 2007, at theWayback Machine
- ^The Thatcher Hoffman Smith Award.Cim.ou.edu. Retrieved on January 6, 2012.
- ^"USA Fellows - United States Artist".
- ^"Films at National Gallery of Art in Summer 2010 Heat Up with Phil Solomon, New Films from Mexico, Ciné-Concerts, and a Retrospective Look at Edith Carlmar, Film Noir, and the 1930s Docudrama The March of Time".National Gallery of Art.June 25, 2010.RetrievedNovember 19,2024.
- ^"Museum of the Moving Image - Exhibitions - Phil Solomon: American Falls".
- ^"Best of the Decade: Avant-Garde".Film Comment.June 2010.
- ^"Preserved Projects".Academy Film Archive.
External links
edit- Phil Solomon Official Website
- Professor Phil Solomon Faculty Page, Film Studies, University of Colorado at Boulder
- "Reflection on the Avant-Garde Experience: A Meditation on Phil Solomon's The Secret Garden by Dana Anderson
- Phil Solomon program at the Conversations At The Edge programConversations At The Edge at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- Phil SolomonatIMDb
- Michael Sicinski's Cinemascope magazine article on Phil Solomon
- Michael Sicinski's review of "Last Days In A Lonely Place" by Phil Solomon
- Patrick Friel's review of Phil Solomons In Memoriam trilogyas printed in The 11th Views from the Avant-Garde, the experimental film program of TheNew York Film Festival
- NY Times review by Manohla Dargis
- CINEMAD interview with Phil Solomon
- American Falls installation and NGA Retrospective review by Genevieve Yue
- ARTFORUM review of American Falls at the NYFF
- Film Comment Avant-Garde Film poll, Top 50 Filmmakers of the Decade, May/June 2010
- 303 Magazine: "Phil Solomon: USA Knight Fellow
- Westword: "Boulder-based filmmaker Phil Solomon awarded USA grant after finishing American Falls"
- The Brooklyn Rail: "Chemical Sundowns: Phil Solomon with Leo Goldsmith
- Boulder Weekly: "Songs of Solomon: CU Filmmaker works in the medium of visual music"
- Huffington Post, UK: "London Film Festival Review: Phil Solomon's American Falls."