Stan Brakhage
Stan Brakhage
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Full Name and Common Aliases
Stan Brakhage was born Stanley Brakhage on January 14, 1933, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His full name is often cited as Stan VanDerBeek's contemporary, but the artist himself preferred to be known by his given first name.
Birth and Death Dates
Brakhage passed away on March 16, 2003, at the age of seventy after a long battle with lung cancer.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Stan Brakhage was an American filmmaker, painter, poet, and writer. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential experimental filmmakers in American cinema history.
Early Life and Background
Born to a family of modest means, Stan grew up surrounded by art supplies, courtesy of his mother's encouragement. His early life laid the groundwork for what would become an illustrious career. Brakhage studied fine arts at Michigan State University before moving to New York City in 1952.
Major Accomplishments
Throughout his lifetime, Brakhage was recognized with numerous awards and accolades for his work in film and visual art. Among his most notable achievements are the Guggenheim Fellowship (1968) and the MacArthur Fellowship (1980). He also served as a member of the jury at several international film festivals.
Notable Works or Actions
Some of Brakhage's most celebrated works include:
Mothlight (1963), an early example of his use of found materials in filmmaking
Pittsburgh Stories (1957-59, released 1996) which showcased the city's working-class culture through documentary and fiction techniques
* Window Water Baby Moving (1959) - a collaboration with actress Jane Beck and a demonstration of his ability to capture complex human emotions on film
These films demonstrate Brakhage's innovative approach to filmmaking, pushing boundaries in terms of style and subject matter.
Impact and Legacy
Stan Brakhage's impact on the world of experimental cinema is immeasurable. His pioneering spirit and creative vision have inspired generations of filmmakers, artists, and writers. His influence can be seen in the work of filmmakers such as Chris Marker and Peter Kubelka, among others.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Stan Brakhage's lasting legacy stems from his unwavering commitment to artistic experimentation and innovation. Through his films, paintings, and writings, he challenged conventional notions of storytelling and pushed the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of visual art. As a result, his work continues to captivate audiences worldwide, solidifying his position as one of the most significant figures in American cinema history.
The quotes featured on this site offer a glimpse into Brakhage's artistic philosophy and creative process, providing insight into the mind behind some of the most innovative works in film history.
Quotes by Stan Brakhage
Imagine a world alive with incomprehensible objects, and shimmering with an endless variety of movement and innumerable gradations of colour. Imagine a world before the 'beginning was the word.'
Imagine an eye unruled by man-made laws of perspective, an eye unprejudiced by compositional logic, an eye which does not respond to the name of everything but which must know each object encountered in life through an adventure of perception.
We have the notion that we exist but we have no way to prove it. ‘I am’ is the closest foundation we can get.
The video maker doesn’t easily face a blank page. Because the videomaker can run it either any way, this way or the other way and erase it if they don’t like it and so on.
Imagine a world alive with incomprehensible objects, and shimmering with an endless variety of movement and innumerable gradations of colour. Imagine a world before the ’beginning was the word.
It is just seeing-it is a very simple word-and to be a visionary is to be a seer. The problem is that most people can’t see.
How many colors are there in a field of grass to the crawling baby unaware of 'Green'?
What a moth might see from birth to death if black were white and white were black,