[-empyre-] media history and more

Thu Apr 4 02:38:46 AEDT 2019

Dear Renate and All,

I met Barbara through her work first, as a film student in Mark Street's
film class, I think (he is Lynne Sachs' partner) when he taught at the
University of Maryland Baltimore County -- must have been 1997 or 98, and I
think he screened Dyketactics for his Film 101 class. Perhaps I am
imagining he did? Lynne, Barbara and Mark had known each other for years
before then, having met in San Francisco when they all lived there (Lynne,
who's on this list, can correct me if I got that wrong!).

I met Barbara in person for the first time in 2004, when she traveled to
Hallwalls in Buffalo to present Resisting Paradise -- she had screened work
at Hallwalls over three decades by then. After her screening, I drove her
and her film equipment across the border to Toronto, Canada (only about an
hour north), to meet with a woman who, as youngster, had known Claude
Cahun. Barbara was researching and working on what would become her film
Lover/Other at the time. Although the footage never made it into the final
film, I can say that I assisted BH as her driver and cable wrapper. The
drive there and back was filled with conversation about filmmaking,
politics, and our shared "former Eastern European" heritage (hers
Ukrainian, mine Polish). It was a time in my life when I was grateful to be
working in the arts primarily as an administrator who programmed cinema. It
was a time of forging new relationships and lasting friendships. Barbara
was different. She never let me off the hook: "Where are all your books?"
she asked, first time she came to my shared office space at Hallwalls --
they're all at home I replied, wondering: who asks that!? Barbara did --
always provocative, always curious and encouraging. At least she was as
along as I knew her -- I often wondered how someone, how a woman artist in
particular, became or made herself so strong, so fearless?

This spirit and this drive she had no doubt affected my own practice --
although as an artist, my "output" dwindled as my programming work became
my main focus. Recently, over the last two years, I had the privilege of
getting to know Barbara and Florrie more personally, meeting at their
apartment -- and once with my 10 year old daughter, who they both wanted to
meet as soon as possible. Perhaps partly before she grew up but now, I
realize, before Barbara died.

As for the reception of Barbara's work: in my limited experience outside of
main cultural centers like NYC, I can say that she drew a dedicated and
devoted following of mostly women who, I would venture to say, hugely
appreciated her artistry and the person. I'll be curious to experience the
reception of her work later this year, after the film series we're
organizing at the National Gallery of Art happens. Of course, now that
Barbara has passed, I expect the mood to be celebratory yet somber - I'd
like to show a clip or two from The Art of Dying
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMeoAx9dZkI>(
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMeoAx9dZkI>Palliative Art Making in the
Age of Anxiety) <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMeoAx9dZkI> too.

On Tue, Apr 2, 2019 at 9:25 PM Renate Ferro <rferro at cornell.edu> wrote:

> ----------empyre- soft-skinned space----------------------
> Thank you Joanna for posting these curatorial notes.
>
> These are curiosity questions: Can you tell us a bit more about when you
> first met Barbara?  How has her work affected your own artistic
> production?  How did you come to curate her work and how has the reception
> of that work changed over time?
>
> You mention Barbara’s program hosted at Hallwalls in 2004.  I am wondering
> if many of our subscribers may not be familiar with Hallwalls in Buffalo or
> for that matter the important history that upstate New York played in early
> media development and history.
>
> The Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center’s mission was and continues to be
> that of serving a thriving arts community whose reach is much broader
> globally than upstate New York.  The center is dedicated to presenting
> visual and performing art by work which “challenges and extends the
> traditional boundaries of various forms.”  The mission is quite expansive
> but for me as a young artist it ended up being a seminal institution.  I
> saw Carrie Mae Weem’s first exhibition there where she produced and sold
> corresponding 45 rpm records.  On one memorable afternoon perhaps a bit
> later film curator Richard Herskowitz and art curator Jill Hartz invited
> Tim Murray and I for a day long screening of video art at the center.  It
> was my first introduction to video art produced mostly by women video
> makers.  Barbara’s work was probably one of them!
>
> Today, Hallwalls continues to be a thriving center in Buffalo along with
> Squeeky Wheel.  Other upstate New York Institutions including the Visual
> Studies Workshop in Rochester, the Everson Museum in Syracuse, and the
> Electronic Television Center in Owego were all important vehicles for the
> production and dissemination of early video and film/video theory.
>
> Many of you may be interested to visit this site which archives many of
> Barbara Hammer’s early super 8’s and videos as early as 1968 a few produced
> at ETC, Electronic Television Center.
> https://kow-berlin.com/artists/barbara-hammer
>
> Joanne wrote,
>  “This deep impression of intergenerational practice and expansive time is
> where I’d like to begin our discussion this week. Ours is the future that
> Barbara also worked hard for, and it’s up to us to meet her challenge in
> our own various practices.”
>
> I am so moved by Barbara Hammer’s generosity in sharing her ideas and her
> projects with others.  One of Barbara’s recent collaborators, Lynne Sachs,
> will be our guest on –empyre- during week 3.  I invite all who have
> stories, memories, collaborations, or inspirations with Barbara to post
> this month and join our discussion.
>
> Over the next few days and weeks we will also remember Grace Quintanilla,
> Carolee Schneemann, and Agnes Varda this month in solidarity with their
> work that we celebrate on –empyre-
>
> To see the archive thus far visit:
> http://lists.artdesign.unsw.edu.au/pipermail/empyre/2019-April/date.html
>
> To join in subscribe here:
> http://empyre.library.cornell.edu/join.php
>
> More tomorrow.
> Renate
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> empyre forum
> empyre at lists.artdesign.unsw.edu.au
> http://empyre.library.cornell.edu

-- 
Joanna Raczynska
raczynska.joanna at gmail.com
410 807-5412
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