This is the inaugural posting of the Avant-Garde in Austin blog! We're so excited to have the chance to showcase the amazing work our students, instructors, and local artists are creating.
Our first posting is a short film by Roger Gordon, a student at ASoF. Roger's film Moving is visually dramatic, thought provoking, and very much reminiscent of one of the early pioneers of avant-garde cinema, Maya Deren. We're proud of Roger and we're looking forward to seeing more of his experimental work.
Roger created Moving for the avant-garde/experimental film class and was interested in recreating the dream experience. He says that most of his dreams are related to moving and changing residence, as a child his family moved quite frequently and he attended eleven schools from grades K-12. Roger continues that pattern in his adult life, "I've moved at a rate that might be considered more normal for a young adult, but seven years ago I married a woman, I like to describe as a "tumbleweed"; she continually needs to change her surroundings. My adult moves, as a result, have become more dramatic, involving multiple states and countries."
He goes on further to explain that, "though I have a moderate desire for adventure, and an aversion to routine, I've long craved stability in a home and tribe of friends concentrated near me. In the dream, I plead to my mother to protect me from these anxiety causing moves, but she directs me to my wife who is now the inspiration, and in the end, I plead to myself, the one truly empowered to accomplish stillness in both location and mind.".
Though his sensibilities lie more toward traditional narrative Roger says he is not done exploring his avant-garde side.
