Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery

Cinema & Painting

Jim Davis

Oskar Fischinger

William Fox

Hollis Frampton

Ken Jacobs

Lumière Company

Len Lye

Colin McCahon

Anthony McCall

Judy Millar

Matt Saunders

Phil Solomon

Diana Thater

curated by Michelle Menzies and Daniel Morgan

10 February – 11 May 2014

Cinema & Painting examined the intersection of these two screen-based arts against the backdrop of a culture characterized by the increasing plasticity of pictorial surfaces and flexibility of spaces of viewing. Turning to artists, both contemporary and historical, who engage the relation between the screen and the space that projects from it, the exhibition mapped the genealogy and continuing life of a Modernist tradition of depth.

Over three thematic suites, this exhibition’s volumetric cinemas and paintings that spill off the wall offer exemplars of a strain of aesthetic practice in which the interrogation of a haptic surface accompanies a commitment to the formal complexity of images. By addressing the materiality of projective space—that physical zone beyond the picture plane activated by the body of the spectator in conjunction with the beam of the projector or the intricacies of painted forms—Cinema & Painting examines the interconnection of these arts not only in pictorial but in explicitly phenomenological terms.

Cinema & Painting was opened by Roger Horrocks, biographer of Len Lye and Emeritus Professor in the Department of Film, Television and Media Studies at the University of Auckland. Martin Rumsby performed Hollis Frampton’s A LECTURE (1968) during the opening. The show also featured screenings by Nathaniel Dorsky, Heinrich Hauser, Ken Jacobs, and Lucien Rizos.

Generously supported by Creative New Zealand, Goethe-Institut New Zealand, The Embassy of France in New Zealand, The New Zealand Film Archive Ngā Kaitiaki O Ngā Taonga Whitiāhua

Exhibition guide

Public programme pdf

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Cinema & Painting

Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh.

Hollis Frampton, A LECTURE, October 30, 1968, performed on February 11, 2014 by Martin Rumsby at the Adam Art Gallery. Script, 16mm projector, red filter, pipe cleaner. Courtesy of the Estate of Hollis Frampton. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Hollis Frampton, A LECTURE, October 30, 1968, performed on February 11, 2014 by Martin Rumsby. Script, 16mm projector, red filter, pipe cleaner. Courtesy of the Estate of Hollis Frampton. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Judy Millar, installation view of Space Work 7, 2014. Wood, paint, digital print, 11.1 x 4.3 meters. Courtesy of the artist, Gow Langsford, Auckland and the Adam Art Gallery. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Judy Millar, Space Work 7, 2014, wood, paint, digital print, 11.1 x 4.3 meters. Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh.

Installation view of Cinema & Painting at the Adam Art Gallery, showing works by Diana Thater and Judy Millar. Photo: Shaun Waugh.

Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh.

Diana Thater, installation view of Pink Daisies, Amber Room, 2003. Two video projectors, two Blu-Ray players, two Blu-Ray discs, Lee filters, existing architecture. Installation dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Shaun Waugh.

Diana Thater, Pink Daisies, Amber Room, 2003, two video projectors, two Blu-Ray players, two Blu-Ray discs, Lee filters, existing architecture. Installation dimensions variable. Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Installation view of Cinema & Painting at the Adam Art Gallery, showing works by Jim Davis and Judy Millar. Photo: Shaun Waugh.

Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Jim Davis, film still from Energies, 1971. 35mm transferred to digital video, colour, sound, 9mins. All courtesy of Anthology Film Archives, New York City.

Jim Davis, Energies, 1971. 35mm transferred to digital video, colour, sound, 9mins. All courtesy of Anthology Film Archives, New York City.

Jim Davis, film still from Let There Be Light , 1956. 35mm transferred to digital video, colour, silent, 11:50mins. All courtesy of Anthology Film Archives, New York City.

Jim Davis, Let There Be Light , 1956. 35mm transferred to digital video, colour, silent, 11:50mins. All courtesy of Anthology Film Archives, New York City

Installation view of Cinema & Painting at the Adam Art Gallery. Photo: Shaun Waugh.

Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Phil Solomon, installation view of American Falls, 2000-12. Digital video, altered archival footage, colour, 5.1 and stereo sound, 55mins. Commissioned by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Shaun Waugh.

Phil Solomon, American Falls, 2000-12, digital video, altered archival footage, colour, 5.1 and stereo sound, 55mins. Commissioned by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Phil Solomon, American Falls, 2000-12 digital video, altered archival footage, colour, 5.1 and stereo sound, 55mins. Commissioned by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Phil Solomon, film still from American Falls, 2000-2012. Digital video, altered archival footage, colour, 5.1 and stereo sound, 55mins. Commissioned by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Courtesy the artist.

Phil Solomon, American Falls, 2000-2012, digital video, altered archival footage, colour, 5.1 and stereo sound, 55mins. Commissioned by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Phil Solomon, American Falls, 2000-2012. Digital video, altered archival footage, colour, 5.1 and stereo sound, 55mins. Commissioned by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Courtesy the artist.

Installation view of Cinema & Painting at the Adam Art Gallery, showing works by Ken Jacobs and William Fox. Photo: Shaun Waugh.

Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Ken Jacobs, film still from GIFT OF FIRE: NINETEEN (OBSCURE) FRAMES THAT CHANGED THE WORLD, 2007. Anaglyph 3D, archival material, color, sound, 27:30 min. Courtesy the artist.

Ken Jacobs, GIFT OF FIRE: NINETEEN (OBSCURE) FRAMES THAT CHANGED THE WORLD, 2007. Anaglyph 3D, archival material, color, sound, 27:30 min. Courtesy the artist

Ken Jacobs, film still from Opening The Nineteenth Century: 1896, 1990. Archival footage transferred to digital video, Pulfrich 3D, b/w, colour, sound, 9mins. Courtesy of the artist.

Ken Jacobs, Opening The Nineteenth Century: 1896, 1990. Archival footage transferred to digital video, Pulfrich 3D, b/w, colour, sound, 9mins. Courtesy of the artist

Ken Jacobs, film still from The Guests, 2013. 3D Archival footage transferred to digital video, DCP, b/w, surround-sound, 74mins. Courtesy of the artist.

Ken Jacobs, The Guests, 2013. 3D Archival footage transferred to digital video, DCP, b/w, surround-sound, 74mins. Courtesy of the artist

William Fox, installation view of The Mangles grass valley, on the Mangles or Teraumei River,[15 February 1846] and Lake Howick [February 1846]. Collection of the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. Photo: Shaun Waugh.

William Fox, The Mangles grass valley, on the Mangles or Teraumei River,[15 February 1846] and Lake Howick [February 1846]. Collection of the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh

William Fox, The Mangles grass valley, on the Mangles or Teraumei River. 15 Feb. [18]46. Watercolour, 204 x 512 mm. Collection of the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington

Lumière Company, installation view of Les Pyramides (vue générale) (The Pyramids [General View]), 1897. Camera Operator: Alexandre Promio, Location: Giza, Egypt. 47secs. Early 35mm transferred to digital video, b&w, silent. Courtesy of the Institut Lumière, Lyon. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Lumière Company, Les Pyramides (vue générale) (The Pyramids [General View]), 1897. Camera Operator: Alexandre Promio, Location: Giza, Egypt. 47secs. Early 35mm transferred to digital video, b&w, silent. Courtesy of the Institut Lumière, Lyon. Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Installation view of Cinema & Painting at the Adam Art Gallery, showing works by Colin McCahon. Photo: Shaun Waugh.

Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Colin McCahon, installation view of Fog Comes in over the Beach, Muriwai, 1973. Pencil on paper, one of nine, 306 x 228mm. Courtesy of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, on loan from a private collection. Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Colin McCahon, Oaia, Sea, Beach, Mist, 1973. Pencil on paper, one of nine, 306 x 228mm. Courtesy of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, on loan from a private collection

Colin McCahon, Sea, Muriwai, 1973. Pencil on paper, one of nine, 306 x 228mm. Courtesy of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, on loan from a private collection.

Colin McCahon, View from the Top of the Cliff, 1971. Acrylic on paper, 794 x 589mm. Courtesy of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, on loan from a private collection.

Anthony McCall, Room With Altered Window, 1973. Gelatin silver print. 20.3 x 25.4 cm. Courtesy the artist and Sean Kelly, New York.

Anthony McCall, Line Describing a Cone, 1973. February 15, 1974. Vintage gelatin silver print, image 159 x 153mm; photograph 248 x 203mm. Photograph of the first showing of the film in the U.S. at Artists Space, New York. Courtesy of the artist and Sean Kelly, New York

Anthony McCall, installation view of Found Solid Light Installation, 1974. Offset lithography on paper, 416 x 329mm. Courtesy of the artist and Sean Kelly, New York. Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Anthony McCall, drawing from Light House: A Proposal for Silo 7, 2013. Pencil, ink and inkjet on paper, 8.5 x 11”. Set of twelve drawings. Courtesy the Artist and Sean Kelly, New York.

Colin McCahon, installation view of Six days in Nelson and Canterbury, 1950. Oil on canvas, 885 x 1165 mm. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Colin McCahon through the Friends of the Auckland Art Gallery, 1978. Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Colin McCahon, Six days in Nelson and Canterbury, 1950. Oil on canvas, 885 x 1165 mm. Collection of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Colin McCahon through the Friends of the Auckland Art Gallery, 1978.

Oskar Fischinger, film still from München-Berlin Wanderung (Walking from Munich to Berlin), 1927. 35mm transferred to digital video, screened at 24fps, b&w, silent, 3mins. Courtesy of Center for Visual Music, Los Angeles.

Len Lye, installation view of stencils from Musical Poster #1, 1940. Paint on heavy card, occasional pencil inscriptions, eleven of twenty-one, various dimensions, approx. 490 x 90mm. Courtesy of the Len Lye Foundation, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery. Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Len Lye, stencil from Musical Poster #1, 1940. Paint on heavy card, occasional pencil inscriptions, eleven of twenty-one, various dimensions, approx. 490 x 90mm. Courtesy of the Len Lye Foundation, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery.

Len Lye, film still from Color Cry, 1952. 16mm transferred to digital video, colour, sound, 3mins. Music: Fox Chase by Sonny Terry. From material preserved and made available by the New Zealand Film Archive Ngā Kaitiaki O Ngā Taonga Whitiāhua. Courtesy of the Len Lye Foundation.

Len Lye, film still from Full Fathom Five / Ariel’s Song, 1935/c.1953/2007. 16mm transferred to digital video, colour, sound, 1 min. Voice: John Gielgud. From material preserved and made available by the New Zealand Film Archive Ngā Kaitiaki O Ngā Taonga Whitiāhua. Courtesy of the Len Lye Foundation.

Len Lye, installation view of Particles in Space, 1957/1980. 16mm transferred to digital video, b&w, sound, 4mins. From material preserved and made available by the New Zealand Film Archive Ngā Kaitiaki O Ngā Taonga Whitiāhua. Courtesy of the Len Lye Foundation. Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh

Oskar Fischinger, film still from Radio Dynamics, 1942. 35mm transferred to digital video, color, silent, 4:22mins. Painted cels, oil on English silk, mixed media. Restored by Center for Visual Music. © Center for Visual Music, Los Angeles.

Matt Saunders, film still from Century Rolls, 2012. Digital video, b&w, colour, silent, 10:45mins. Animated ink on mylar drawings. Commissioned by Tate Liverpool. Courtesy the artist.

Matt Saunders, installation view of Century Rolls, 2012. Digital video, b&w, colour, silent, 10:45mins. Animated ink on mylar paintings. Commissioned by Tate Liverpool. Installation view, Cinema & Painting, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi, 2014. Photo: Shaun Waugh