Stan Brakhage

Directing·Jan 14, 1933·Kansas City, Missouri, USA

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Stan Brakhage is one of the most influential filmmakers in American avant-garde cinema, noted for his unflinching social commentaries and technical innovations. Over his nearly 40-year career, he has made over 200 films of varying length. He made his first film, Interim (1952) at age 18 after dropping out of college. Brakhage films seek to change the way we see. They encourage viewers to eschew traditional narrative structure in favor of pure visual perception that is not reliant on naming what is seen; rather his goal is to create a more visceral visual experience, for he believes that a "stream-of visual-consciousness could be nothing less than the pathway of the soul." To this end, his films are shot in highly sensual colors and utilize minimal soundtracks. His work can be divided into distinct periods. His first short films explored the properties and possibilities of light. In many of his experimental ventures, Brakhage has forgone traditional cinematography in favor of working directly with the film stock itself. He has occasionally painted, inked, scratched and dyed images onto it; he has also tried pasting organic objects on the film. His most famous example is the 1963 short Mothlight in which he glued moth wings onto the stock. Some of his early films were based on his most intimate experiences that included making love to his new bride--depicted on negative film--in Wedlock House: An Intercourse (1959), and an attempt to bring his dead dog back to life with a camera in Sirius Remembered (1959). During the 1960s, Brakhage's iconoclastic views were celebrated for their poetry, but during the '70s, his focus changed to social issues and he alienated many supporters with such disturbing film series as the "Pittsburgh documents" in which he presented many gruesome views of inner city life with films such as Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes (1971) which was shot in a morgue. He also continued with autobiographical material with the "Sincerity/Duplicity series. During the 1980s, Brakhage's focus again changed--this time he became intrigued with creating truly "abstract" films such as Arabics (1982) which consists of brilliant bursts of colored light which he claims, represent "envisioned music." In addition to filmmaking, Brakhage also wrote books about films and filmmaking and also served as a teacher.

Film	Credit
20 Little Films2012 · Director	Director
By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume Two2010 · Director	Director
By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume One2003 · Director	Director
Chinese Series2003 · Director	Director
SStan's Window & Work in Progress2003 · Director	Director
Panels for the Walls of Heaven2002 · Director	Director
Resurrectus Est2002 · Director	Director
SB2002 · Director	Director
Seasons...2002 · Director	Director
Ascension2002 · Director	Director
Song of the Mushroom2002 · Director	Director
Max2002 · Director	Director
PPersian Series #172001 · Director	Director
PPersian Series #132001 · Director	Director
PPersian Series #142001 · Director	Director
PPersian Series #152001 · Director	Director
PPersian Series #182001 · Director	Director
Persian Series #162001 · Director	Director
Micro-Garden2001 · Director	Director
Garden Path2001 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Lovesong 5 & 62001 · Director	Director
Dark Night of The Soul2001 · Director	Director
Lovesong 42001 · Director	Director
Lovesong2001 · Director	Director
Lovesong 32001 · Director	Director
Occam's Thread2001 · Director	Director
Rounds2001 · Director	Director
Very2001 · Director	Director
Night Mulch2001 · Director	Director
Lovesong 22001 · Director	Director
Jesus Trilogy and Coda2000 · Director	Director
Persian Series #112000 · Director	Director
PPersian Series #122000 · Director	Director
Persian Series #102000 · Director	Director
The God of Day Had Gone Down Upon Him2000 · Director	Director
Water for Maya2000 · Director	Director
PPersian Series #72000 · Director	Director
Persian Series #62000 · Director	Director
PPersian Series #82000 · Director	Director
PPersian Series #92000 · Director	Director
DDance2000 · Director	Director
The Lion and the Zebra Make God's Raw Jewels1999 · Director	Director
Moilsome Toilsome1999 · Director	Director
Persian Series #21999 · Director	Director
Persian Series #31999 · Director	Director
Persian Series #11999 · Director	Director
Persian Series #41999 · Director	Director
Persian Series #51999 · Director	Director
The Earth Song of the Cricket1999 · Director	Director
The Dark Tower1999 · Director	Director
The Birds Of Paradise1999 · Director	Director
SStately Mansions Did Decree1999 · Director	Director
Coupling1999 · Director	Director
Cloud Chamber1999 · Director	Director
Worm and Web Love1999 · Director	Director
Cricket Requiem1999 · Director	Director
"..." Reel 31998 · Director	Director
"..." Reel 51998 · Director	Director
The Female Mystique and Spare Leaves (for Gordon)1998 · Director	Director
"..." Reel 41998 · Director	Director
""..." Reel 11998 · Director	Director
"..." Reel 21998 · Director	Director
Self Song & Death Song1997 · Director	Director
Yggdrasill: Whose Roots Are Stars in the Human Mind1997 · Director	Director
The Cat of the Worm's Green Realm1997 · Director	Director
Last Hymn to the Night - Novalis1997 · Director	Director
Divertimento1997 · Director	Director
Comingled Containers1996 · Director	Director
Prelude 91996 · Director	Director
Prelude 111996 · Director	Director
Prelude 71996 · Director	Director
PPrelude 121996 · Director	Director
Prelude 81996 · Director	Director
Prelude 131996 · Director	Director
Prelude 101996 · Director	Director
Prelude 141996 · Director	Director
Shockingly Hot1996 · Director	Director
Prelude 151996 · Director	Director
Prelude 161996 · Director	Director
Prelude 211996 · Director	Director
Prelude 221996 · Director	Director
Prelude 241996 · Director	Director
Prelude 171996 · Director	Director
Prelude 191996 · Director	Director
Prelude 201996 · Director	Director
Prelude 231996 · Director	Director
Prelude 181996 · Director	Director
Blue Value1996 · Director	Director
Sexual Saga1996 · Director	Director
The Fur of Home1996 · Director	Director
Beautiful Funerals1996 · Director	Director
Polite Madness1996 · Director	Director
TThrough Wounded Eyes1996 · Director	Director
Concrescence1996 · Director	Director
Two Found Objects of Charles Boultenhouse1996 · Director	Director
I Take These Truths1995 · Director	Director
I...1995 · Director	Director
We Hold These1995 · Director	Director
The 'b' Series1995 · Director	Director
Prelude 31995 · Director	Director
Prelude 41995 · Director	Director
Prelude 11995 · Director	Director
Prelude 21995 · Director	Director
Prelude 51995 · Director	Director
Prelude 61995 · Director	Director
In Consideration of Pompeii1995 · Director	Director
The "Lost" Films1995 · Director	Director
Spring Cycle1995 · Director	Director
Paranoia Corridor1995 · Director	Director
Earthen Aerie1995 · Director	Director
Black Ice1994 · Director	Director
From: First Hymn to the Night – Novalis1994 · Director	Director
Chartres Series1994 · Director	Director
The Mammals of Victoria1994 · Director	Director
Elementary Phrases1994 · Director	Director
Naughts1994 · Director	Director
Cannot Exist1994 · Director	Director
Cannot Not Exist1994 · Director	Director
AAlternating Currents1994 · Director	Director
Stellar1993 · Director	Director
Study in Color and Black and White1993 · Director	Director
Autumnal1993 · Director	Director
Three Homerics1993 · Director	Director
The Harrowing1993 · Director	Director
Tryst Haunt1993 · Director	Director
Boulder Blues and Pearls and...1993 · Director	Director
Ephemeral Solidity1993 · Director	Director
Blossom-Gift/Favor1993 · Director	Director
For Marilyn1992 · Director	Director
IInterpolations 1-51992 · Director	Director
Christ Mass Sex Dance1991 · Director	Director
Agnus Dei Kinder Synapse1991 · Director	Director
Delicacies of Molten Horror Synapse1991 · Director	Director
Crack Glass Eulogy1991 · Director	Director
A Child’s Garden and the Serious Sea1991 · Director	Director
Passage Through: A Ritual1990 · Director	Director
Vision of the Fire Tree1990 · Director	Director
Glaze of Cathexis1990 · Director	Director
Visions in Meditation #3: Plato's Cave1990 · Director	Director
Visions in Meditation #4: D.H. Lawrence1990 · Director	Director
City Streaming1990 · Director	Director
Babylon Series #21990 · Director	Director
Babylon Series #31990 · Director	Director
The Thatch of Night1990 · Director	Director
Babylon Series #11989 · Director	Director
Faust IV1989 · Director	Director
Visions in Meditation #11989 · Director	Director
Visions in Meditation #2: Mesa Verde1989 · Director	Director
I... Dreaming1988 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Faust 3: Candida Albacore1988 · Director	Director
Faust's Other: An Idyll1988 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Rage Net1988 · Director	Director
Marilyn's Window1988 · Director	Director
Matins1988 · Director	Director
The Dante Quartet1987 · Director	Director
Loud Visual Noises1987 · Director	Director
Faustfilm: An Opera1987 · Director	Director
Kindering1987 · Director	Director
The Loom1986 · Director	Director
Dance Shadows by Danelle Helander1986 · Director	Director
Fireloop1986 · Director	Director
Night Music1986 · Director	Director
Confession1986 · Director	Director
The Aerodyne1986 · Director	Director
Jane1985 · Director, Director of Photography	Director, Director of Photography
Tortured Dust1984 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Tortured Dust Part 31984 · Director	Director
Tortured Dust Part 21984 · Director	Director
Tortured Dust Part 11984 · Director	Director
Tortured Dust Part 41984 · Director	Director
Egyptian Series1984 · Director	Director
Hell Spit Flexion1983 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 151982 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 191982 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 161982 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 181982 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 141982 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 171982 · Director	Director
Nodes1981 · Director	Director
Unconscious London Strata1981 · Director	Director
Made Manifest1981 · Director	Director
Aftermath1981 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 121981 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 111981 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 0 + 101981 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 131981 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 91981 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 71981 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 81981 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 31981 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 61981 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 11981 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 21981 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 41981 · Director	Director
Arabic Numeral Series 51981 · Director	Director
The Garden of Earthly Delights1981 · Director	Director
RR1981 · Director	Director
Murder Psalm1980 · Director	Director
Duplicity III1980 · Director	Director
Roman Numeral: VII1980 · Director	Director
Roman Numeral: IV1980 · Director	Director
Roman Numeral: VIII1980 · Director	Director
Roman Numeral: IX1980 · Director	Director
Roman Numeral: VI1980 · Director	Director
Roman Numeral: V1980 · Director	Director
44A1980 · Director	Director
Sincerity V1980 · Director	Director
Other1980 · Director	Director
Salome1980 · Director	Director
@1979 · Director	Director
Roman Numeral: I1979 · Director	Director
Roman Numeral: II1979 · Director	Director
Sincerity IV1979 · Director	Director
Creation1979 · Director	Director
Roman Numeral: III1979 · Director	Director
Burial Path1978 · Director	Director
Thot-Fal'N1978 · Director	Director
Bird1978 · Director	Director
Centre1978 · Director	Director
Nightmare Series1978 · Director	Director
Sluice1978 · Director	Director
Purity and After1978 · Director	Director
Duplicity II1978 · Director	Director
Sincerity III1978 · Director	Director
Duplicity I1978 · Director	Director
TThe Governor1977 · Director	Director
Soldiers and Other Cosmic Objects1977 · Director	Director
Tragoedia1977 · Director	Director
The Domain of the Moment1977 · Director	Director
The Dream, N.Y.C., The Return, The Flower1976 · Director	Director
Absence1976 · Director	Director
Desert1976 · Director	Director
Highs1976 · Director	Director
Rembrandt, Etc., and Jane1976 · Director	Director
Trio1976 · Director	Director
Window1976 · Director	Director
Airs1976 · Director	Director
GGadflies1976 · Director	Director
SSketches1976 · Director	Director
Short Films 19761976 · Director	Director
Short Films 1975: #1 (Jane’s Memory)1975 · Director	Director
Short Films 1975: #3 (Hollis Frampton)1975 · Director	Director
Short Films 1975: #2 (Dante’s Styx)1975 · Director	Director
Short Films 1975: #5 (Niagara Falls)1975 · Director	Director
Short Films 1975: #4 (Lady in Glass)1975 · Director	Director
Short Films 1975: #8 (Small Town Streets)1975 · Director	Director
Short Films 1975: #6 (Stars, Chickens, Eyes, Candles)1975 · Director	Director
Short Films 1975: #7 (Turning the Raccoon Loose)1975 · Director	Director
Short Films 19751975 · Director	Director
Sincerity II1975 · Director	Director
Short Films 1975: #10 (Painted Lightning)1975 · Director	Director
Short Films 1975: #9 (Forest Love Scene)1975 · Director	Director
The Stars Are Beautiful1974 · Narrator (voice), Director, Writer	Narrator (voice), Director, Writer
The Text of Light1974 · Director, Director of Photography	Director, Director of Photography
Hymn to Her1974 · Director	Director
Star Garden1974 · Director	Director
Skein1974 · Director	Director
Aquarien1974 · Director	Director
Clancy1974 · Director	Director
Flight1974 · Director	Director
“He was born, he suffered, he died.”1974 · Director	Director
Sol1974 · Director	Director
Dominion1974 · Director	Director
GGift1973 · Director	Director
Sincerity I1973 · Director	Director
Sexual Meditation: Open Field1973 · Director	Director
The Women1973 · Director	Director
The Process1972 · Director	Director
The Riddle of Lumen1972 · Director	Director
Sexual Meditation: Office Suite1972 · Director	Director
Sexual Meditation: Faun's Room, Yale1972 · Director	Director
The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes1972 · Director, Director of Photography	Director, Director of Photography
The Wold-Shadow1972 · Director	Director
WWecht1972 · Director	Director
Sexual Meditation: Hotel1972 · Director	Director
The Shores of Phos: A Fable1972 · Director	Director
Eye Myth Educational1972 · Writer, Director	Writer, Director
The Presence1972 · Director	Director
DDeus Ex1971 · Director	Director
The Trip to Door1971 · Director	Director
Fox Fire Child Watch1971 · Director	Director
Western History1971 · Director	Director
Sexual Meditation: Room with View1971 · Director	Director
Door1971 · Director	Director
The Peaceable Kingdom1971 · Director	Director
Angels'1971 · Director	Director
Eyes1970 · Director	Director
The Machine of Eden1970 · Director	Director
The Animals of Eden and After1970 · Director	Director
The Weir-Falcon Saga1970 · Director	Director
Scenes from Under Childhood1970 · Director	Director
Scenes from Under Childhood, Section Four1970 · Director	Director
Sexual Meditation #1: Motel1970 · Director	Director
Scenes from Under Childhood, Section Three1969 · Director	Director
Scenes from Under Childhood, Section Two1969 · Director	Director
My Mtn. Song 27 Part II: Rivers1969 · Director	Director
Window Suite of Children's Songs1969 · Director	Director
American 30s Song1969 · Director	Director
Song 281969 · Director	Director
Song 291969 · Director	Director
Scenes from Under Childhood, Section One1968 · Director	Director
The Horseman, the Woman, and the Moth1968 · Director	Director
Lovemaking1968 · Director	Director
My Mountain: Song 271968 · Director	Director
Song 261968 · Director	Director
Eye Myth1967 · Director	Director
Song 241967 · Director	Director
Song 251967 · Director	Director
For Life, Against the War1967 · Director	Director
23rd Psalm Branch1967 · Director	Director
23rd Psalm Branch: Part I1967 · Director	Director
23rd Psalm Branch: Part II1967 · Director	Director
Song 211966 · Director	Director
Song 201966 · Director	Director
Song 171966 · Director	Director
Song 221966 · Director	Director
Song 181966 · Director	Director
Song 191966 · Director	Director
Song 161966 · Director	Director
Pasht1966 · Director	Director
Two: Creeley/McClure1965 · Director	Director
Fire of Waters1965 · Director	Director
Three Films: Blue White/Blood's Tone/Vein1965 · Director	Director
Song 121965 · Director	Director
Song 141965 · Director	Director
Song 131965 · Director	Director
Song 111965 · Director	Director
115 Song Traits1965 · Director	Director
Black Vision1965 · Director	Director
The Art of Vision1965 · Man, Director, Producer	Man, Director, Producer
Song 101965 · Director	Director
Song 91965 · Director	Director
Dog Star Man1965 · Actor, Director, Writer, Director of Photography	Actor, Director, Writer, Director of Photography
Dog Star Man: Part IV1964 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Dog Star Man: Part III1964 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Dog Star Man: Part II1964 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Song 11964 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Song 61964 · Director	Director
Song 41964 · Director	Director
Song 21964 · Director	Director
Song 31964 · Director	Director
Song 81964 · Director	Director
Song 51964 · Director	Director
Song 71964 · Director	Director
Mothlight1963 · Director	Director
Oh Life - a Woe Story - the A Test News1963 · Director	Director
Dog Star Man: Part I1963 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Blue Moses1962 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Prelude: Dog Star Man1962 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
SSilent Sound Sense Stars Subotnick and Sender1962 · Director	Director
MMr. Tompkins Inside Himself1962 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Thigh Line Lyre Triangular1961 · Director	Director
Sartre's Nausea1961 · Director	Director
Films by Stan Brakhage: An Avant-Garde Home Movie1961 · Director	Director
Ballad of the Colorado Ute1961 · Director	Director
The Dead1960 · Director	Director
Colorado Legend1960 · Director of Photography, Director	Director of Photography, Director
Sirius Remembered1959 · Director	Director
Window Water Baby Moving1959 · Director, Director of Photography	Director, Director of Photography
Wedlock House: An Intercourse1959 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Cat's Cradle1959 · Director	Director
Anticipation of the Night1958 · Director	Director
Loving1957 · Director	Director
Daybreak and Whiteye1957 · Director	Director
Flesh of Morning1956 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Zone Moment1956 · Director	Director
Nightcats1956 · Director	Director
The Wonder Ring1955 · Director	Director
UUntitled Film of Geoffrey Holder's Wedding1955 · Director	Director
RReflections on Black1955 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Centuries of June1955 · Director	Director
In Between1955 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
The Extraordinary Child1954 · Actor, Director, Writer	Actor, Director, Writer
TThe Way to Shadow Garden1954 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Desistfilm1954 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
TThe Boy and the Sea1953 · Director	Director
Unglassed Windows Cast a Terrible Reflection1953 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Interim1952 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Visions in MeditationDirector	Director
Arabic Numeral SeriesDirector	Director
Persian SeriesDirector	Director
PPersian Series 1-5Director	Director
SongsDirector, Writer	Director, Writer