Artist Film of the Month

Railings

Dir: Guy Sherwin | 1977 | 10mins | UK | B&W | 16mm (for vertical projection)

Distributor | LUX

Railings is a deceptively simple film exploring how image relates to sound. During the processing of the film the imagery of vertical iron railings was printed across the full film frame and onto the optical soundtrack. When the film is projected the image is converted into sound. As Guy Sherwin states "[t]his particular film makes use of the aural effect of visual perspective; the steeper the perspective on the railings, the closer the intervals of black and white, and the higher the frequency of sound."

Watch the video here…

Artist: Guy Sherwin

Guy Sherwin is an influential British filmmaker and was key member of the London Filmmakers Co-op form the mid-70s. Having studied painting at Chelsea School of Art in the 1960s he later moved into film work, exploring the performative aspect of film and investigating its formal characteristics. Recent works include multi-screen projection and gallery installations. His films and expanded cinema works have been widely exhibited in England and abroad, as part of key exhibitions such as ‘Film as Film’ (Hayward Gallery 1979), ‘Live in Your Head’ (Whitechapel Gallery 2000) and included in the international touring programme and accompanying DVD publication ‘Shoot Shoot Shoot’ 2002. ‘Optical Sound Films 1971 – 2007’ a DVD and publication featuring many of Guy Sherwin films has just been published by LUX.

Links:

Guy Sherwin @ LUXONLINE
http://www.luxonline.org.uk/artists/guy_sherwin/index.html