Film as Poetry

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Phil Solomon makes experimental movies using found footage and chemically altered film emulsions. In some of his films, abstract images flicker in eerie silence. In others, shadowy figures appear and then vanish, accompanied by a kind of industrial hum. There’s a dreamlike, otherworldly quality to the work. Solomon has taught film at the University of Colorado in Boulder since 1991. He was a longtime friend and collaborator with the late Stan Brakhage, considered one of the leading figures of experimental filmmaking. Solomon has just won a $50,000 fellowship from United States Artists, based in Los Angeles. He’s one of 50 American artists to be honored with the annual award. Solomon speaks with Ryan Warner.

To see clips from some of Solomon's films, click here.

[Photo courtesy Phil Solomon]