"Early Abstractions" (1946-57), Pt. 4

No. 10: Mirror Animations (1957)

[@wardrich]

Man, this shit is WAAAAY ahead of its time

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

"@callaviejachocha Google "cutout animation" - think collage + stop motion. He shot this in 1957, so there's nothing too sophisticated going on in terms of technology… just lots and lots and lots of creativity." These days there seems to be a tendency to associate cutout animation with Terry Gilliam or something resembling his work, when in fact, the technique had been around much longer than the show it was made famous in. I feel like Harry Smith gets discounted simply because the approach he used might seem rather quaint by today's standards (especially with the way digital advances in art, design and animation have advanced to the point such a film like this may seem like a simple exercise, though I'm sure these took many hours, days, weeks or even months to do. My favorite of these is #7 with it's use of multiple camera passes needed to render the individual patterns of colored light on display in the 5 minute piece.

[@DreamingTurtle]

Thanks for posting. I love this film. If I remember right, this has it's roots in Theosophy and the occult. Quite impressive for its' time.

[@RVCCVR]

Wonderful ⭐️ so glad you care for this kind of cinema❣️

[@Moss_pitt]

This is the most psychedelic shit I have ever witnessed!!!! Amazing and thank you for posting this. Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!

[@ludvik199t]

WOW im breathless man, this is so awesome! thank you so much!

[@RobertoGinsburg]

Mr. Harry Everett Smith

[@lymphatico]

@callaviejachocha Google "cutout animation" - think collage + stop motion. He shot this in 1957, so there's nothing too sophisticated going on in terms of technology… just lots and lots and lots of creativity.

[@atwaterpub]

Man, this would be beautiful in 70 millimeter, or even HD resolution. A tour de force.

[@ViRiXDreamcore]

Wow, this stuff is interesting. I had no idea it was around that long. I wonder what it all means... I bet you could have an entire class on this stuff.

[@LostInMyOwnHead666]

i muted the sound and used Pharaoh Sanders - Kazuko, instead. Worked x100000 better

[@iMrKronic]

i wish i could remake stuff like this

[@mariothepookster]

enjoyed the creativity

[@SeanBoke]

Everyone should check out the website for the Harry Smith Archives. If you have a chance to see any of his films on film... do it.

[@PierreRadulescu]

Is this still the score of Teiji Ito? For the other three Early Abstractions I recognized the music from Shamanic Principles of Ito. Here I am not so sure any more.

[@roboneko77]

I remember the time I first smoked weed

[@jennyxmk]

i feel as though part 4 doesn't quite fit in with parts 1-3, i think the film could have ended successfully with part 3 (the strongest part in my opinion), this is interesting and amusing to watch though

[@puritycharge]

Likewise...maybe the archive will release something soon...this helps...thankyou for posting it don juan.

[@keyboardhero521]

CAnt type v ery wll right now, my eyeballs arestill dangling over m y cheeks but thank you very much fo0r posting this incredible work.

[@sclogse1]

There was a documentary about Harry Smith around 2008-2009.. in the San Francisco film festival..about his times with Ginsberg, and his work in saving rare 78's, as during WWII they were being melted down. There's a great book out that got me here...called Harry Smith The Avante Garde in the American Vernacular. Fabulous that you posted this.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

Still kinda wonder if this would've worked with "Meet The Beatles" instead, but still perfect as always.

[@BERLINblurs]

Good stuff.

[@MVillani1985]

I wish Harry Smith's style would have caught on for an actual movie style.

[@mouse264]

@raatlokum If you mean Terry Gilliam's, well they're both stopmo :T

[@alpswissart]

is more dadaismus then abstraction.

[@IKSIRB68]

I kinda miss acid sometimes. Oh well. cool video.

[@Danielmountford_]

@IKSIRB68 haha i was thinking i miss it too.

[@binary132]

reminds me of monty python animations.. lol

[@TaylorConrad8098]

thats beautiful

[@nevesaj]

AMAZING!!!

[@OreoMakesBeats]

#JEREMIAH JAE

[@andreadc]

delightful!