Documentaries

CASTING A GLANCE

James Benning
USA 2007
80 min
V'07

casting a glance is a tribute to the American artist Robert Smithson. Between May 15, 2005 and January 14, 2007 I made 16 trips to the «Spiral Jetty». Created in 1970, the «Jetty» is a 1,500 - foot long spiral-shaped jetty extending into the Great Salt Lake in Utah constructed from rocks, earth, salt and red algae. The resulting film maps the «Jetty» back onto its own 37 year history - looking at and listening to its reoccurring changes. I found the «Jetty» a barometer for a variety of cycles. From morning to night its allusive, shifting appearance (radical or subtle) may be the result of a passing wea-ther system or simply the changing angle of the sun. Seasonal shifts and water level changes alter salt crystal growth, the amount of algae in the water, and the presence of wildlife. The water may appear blue, red, purple, brown, or gold. Sounds may come from a navy jet, wildlife, lapping or splashing water, a visitor's car radio, converging thunderstorms, or be a silence so still you can hear the blood moving through the veins in your ears. (James Benning)

A third screening of the film is taking place on November 1 at 8.30pm in the Austrian Film Museum. There is also a retrospective of his whole works in presence of the artist.

Credits
  • James Benning
  • James Benning
  • James Benning
James Benning/CalArts 24700 McBean Parkway Valencia, CA 91355, USA T 661 253 7825 jbenning@calarts.edu James Benning/CalArts 24700 McBean Parkway Valencia, CA 91355, USA T 661 253 7825 jbenning@calarts.edu

James Benning/CalArts 24700 McBean Parkway Valencia, CA 91355, USA T 661 253 7825 jbenning@calarts.edu

16 mm
col
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