 Bruce Bickford's World
Thursday, October 7, 6:00 p.m.
Bruce Bickford in person!
Gene Siskel Film Center
(162 N. State / 312-846-2600)
Image: Bruce Bickford's plasticine heads
"Bruce Bickford is a genius!" - Frank Zappa
Enchanted gardens, epic battles, and creatures that morph out of roiling landscapes of clay are but a few of the visions that make up legendary animator Bruce Bickford's world-one of metamorphosis, destruction, and regeneration. Best known for his work with Frank Zappa-Baby Snakes (1979) and The Amazing Mr. Bickford (1987)-Bickford's stunning and surreal animations have influenced generations of artists, filmmakers, and musicians. This evening's program features a rare theatrical screening of his 1988 tour-de-force, Prometheus' Garden; recent pencil-line animations, including the hypnotic Inversion Layer (1994) and The Comic That Frenches Your Mind (2007); and a collection of rarely-seen animated sequences and fragments spanning Bickford's prodigious career, featuring a not-to-be-missed live soundtrack by musicians Jeff Parker (Tortoise, The Relatives) and Frank Rosaly (Viscous). Special thanks to Peter Burr for his generous assistance with this program. Bruce Bickford, 1980-2010, USA, multiple formats, ca. 90 min (plus discussion).
BRUCE BICKFORD (1947, Seattle, WA) began animating clay in the summer of 1964 at the age of 17. He graduated from high school in 1965 and engaged in military service from 1966 to 1969. Upon his return, he resumed animation and began experimenting with line animation. He met Frank Zappa in 1973 and worked for him from 1974-1980, producing imagery for Baby Snakes (1979), The Dub Room Special (1985), Video From Hell (1980), and The Amazing Mr. Bickford (1987). Afterwards, he returned to Seattle and resumed animating, mostly his own personal work. His life and work were featured in the 2004 biographical documentary film, Monster Road, directed by Brett Ingram.
CATE is organized by the School of the Art Institute's Department of Film, Video, New Media & Animation collaboration with the Gene Siskel Film Center and the Video Data Bank .
We have a blog! Visit us at www.saic.edu/cateblog.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
10/14 - Internal Systems: Films by Coleen Fitzgibbon (Coleen Fitzgibbon in person!)
10/21 - Luis Gispert: Hyperreal (Luis Gispert in person!)
10/28 - Under the Cement, Sediment: Recent Video In and Around China (Curator Pablo de Ocampo in person!)
11/4 - Civil Status: Films by Alina Rudnitskaya (Alina Rudnitskaya in person!)
11/11 - Erie (Kevin Jerome Everson in person!)
11/18 - Reenactments (Curator Irina Botea in person!)
12/2 - The Unstable Object (Daniel Eisenberg in person!)
LOCATION AND TICKETS
Programs take place Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. at the Gene Siskel Film Center (164 N. State), unless otherwise noted.
CATE is now FREE to SAIC students with a valid student ID. Tickets are $10 General public, $5 Film Center members, $7 students, and $4 SAIC faculty and staff and Art Institute of Chicago staff.
Any person with a disability who would like to request an accommodation for this program should contact the Disability and Learning Resource Center at dlrc@saic.edu or 312.499.4278 as soon as possible to allow adequate time to make proper arrangements.
About the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
A leader in educating artists, designers, and scholars since 1866, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) offers nationally accredited undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate programs to nearly 3,200 students from across the globe. Located in the heart of Chicago, SAIC's educational philosophy is built upon a multidisciplinary approach to art and design, giving students unparalleled opportunities to develop their creative and critical abilities, while working with renowned faculty who include many of the leading practitioners in their fields. SAIC's resources include the Art Institute of Chicago and its new Modern Wing; numerous special collections and programming venues provide students with exceptional exhibitions, screenings, lectures, and performances. For more information, please visit www.saic.edu.
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