Line Describing a Cone
Anthony McCall
Deep Spaces | Fri 25th Feb 2010 | Paradiso, Amsterdam

Reading the program of Sonic Acts I got intrigued about this 30min, B&W, silent film. Made in 1973, it is the first of McCall´s ‘solid light’ film series, an exploration on the sculptural qualities of light, using simple 16mm projections. He developed these series until the late 70s, only re-starting this practice more than twenty years later, this time using digital tools. This film is now a legendary example within the field of expanded cinema.

In McCall´s words: ‘The viewer watches the film by standing with his, or her, back towards what would normally be the screen, and looking along the beam towards the projector itself. The film beings as a coherent line of light, like a laser beam, adn develops through its 30-minute duration into a complete, hollow cone of light.’

That´s what we could see in the small hall of Paradiso, a dot describing a line, slowly becoming a physical conical volume. A minimal and elegant cinematic sculpture which turned also into a playful experience for the audience, who was quite amused interacting with the emerging light volume.

After experienced the film, I am now looking forward to catch up any of McCall´s new light installations.

Check also:

http://www.anthonymccall.com/

VIDEO: A ‘solid-light’ film by Anthony McCall
March 2007, Tate Modern, UK

Anthony McCall: The Solid Light Films and Related Works. Northwestern Univ. Press. 2005