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.
Directing
520
Male
1933-01-14
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
James Stanley Brakhage, 스탠 브래키지, スタン・ブラッケージ, 斯坦·布拉哈格, Стэн Брэкидж, სტენ ბრეკიჯი
A Visit to Stan Brakhage
Sonic Youth: Koncertas Stan Brakhage Prisiminimui (April 12, 2003)
Encomium
In the Mirror of Maya Deren
Stan & Jane Brakhage
Brakhage Crosses Central Park
Cat's Cradle
Window Water Baby Moving
Dog Star Man: Part IV
Doodlin': Impressions Of Len Lye
Flesh of Morning
Brakhage
Reflecting Thought: Stan Brakhage
Please Leave a Message: Anthology Film Archives Voicemails Through the Ages
Trumpit
I Met Stan Brakhage (At Moma, N.Y.C)
Vakvagany
A Visit to Stan Brakhage
Garden Path
Cannibal! The Musical
Z (Zee Not Zed)
Joseph Cornell: Worlds in a Box
The One Romantic Venture of Edward
The Extraordinary Child
I... Dreaming
As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
Song 1
The Stars Are Beautiful
Faust's Other: An Idyll
Wedlock House: An Intercourse
Birth of a Nation
Dog Star Man: Part I
Dog Star Man: Part II
Prelude: Dog Star Man
Dog Star Man: Part III
As Is Was
The Art of Vision
Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film
For Stan
Grand Opera: An Historical Romance
Filmmakers
Invocation: Maya Deren
Watunna
Tortured Dust
Looking at Forest of Bliss
Stan Brakhage Exits the Cinema and Enters the Light of Day
Reality's Invisible
Jonas in the Desert
Notes on Marie Menken
Keepers of the Frame
Keeping an Eye on Stan
Stan Brakhage on Jim Davis
Stan Brakhage on Gregory Markopoulos
Abstract Cinema
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
Life with Stan #4: Stan Painting
BRAKHAGE ON BRAKHAGE
Dog Star Man
Dinner with Brakhage and Gamow
Preserving Cultural Traditions in a Period of Instability
Songs
Notes on the Buffalo Conference: “Autobiography in American Independent Cinema”
Legendary Epics Yarns and Fables Part 2: Stan Brakhage
Cyclopean 3D: Life with a Beautiful Woman
Brakhage by Mothlight
Brakhage on Brakhage
Visions in Meditation
Arabic Numeral Series
Persian Series
Untitled Film of Geoffrey Holder's Wedding
The Boy and the Sea
Delicacies of Molten Horror Synapse
Glaze of Cathexis
Mothlight
The Wold-Shadow
Eye Myth
Study in Color and Black and White
Scenes from Under Childhood, Section One
The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes
Desistfilm
Crack Glass Eulogy
Kindering
The Dante Quartet
For Marilyn
Night Music
Comingled Containers
Black Ice
The Dark Tower
Stellar
Lovesong
Rage Net
The Garden of Earthly Delights
Unglassed Windows Cast a Terrible Reflection
Rounds
Thigh Line Lyre Triangular
The Wonder Ring
Centuries of June
The Text of Light
The Process
The God of Day Had Gone Down Upon Him
The Way to Shadow Garden
Blue Moses
Autumnal
From: First Hymn to the Night – Novalis
Chinese Series
Two: Creeley/McClure
The Machine of Eden
Burial Path
Sirius Remembered
The Dead
Anticipation of the Night
Reflections on Black
A Child’s Garden and the Serious Sea
Boulder Blues and Pearls and...
The Mammals of Victoria
Short Films 1975: #1 (Jane’s Memory)
Short Films 1975: #3 (Hollis Frampton)
Short Films 1975: #2 (Dante’s Styx)
Short Films 1975: #5 (Niagara Falls)
Short Films 1975: #4 (Lady in Glass)
Short Films 1975: #8 (Small Town Streets)
Short Films 1975: #6 (Stars, Chickens, Eyes, Candles)
Short Films 1975: #7 (Turning the Raccoon Loose)
The Riddle of Lumen
Ephemeral Solidity
Three Homerics
Persian Series 1-5
Loving
The Horseman, the Woman, and the Moth
Pasht
Fire of Waters
Interim
Song 6
Song 10
Song 4
Song 12
Song 14
Song 2
Song 3
Song 8
Song 13
Song 9
Song 5
Song 11
Song 7
Elementary Phrases
Naughts
Murder Psalm
Song of the Mushroom
Creation
The Women
Gadflies
Silent Sound Sense Stars Subotnick and Sender
Wecht
The Weir-Falcon Saga
Mr. Tompkins Inside Himself
Deus Ex
Thot-Fal'N
The Domain of the Moment
Visions in Meditation #1
Desert
I Take These Truths
Eyes
Star Garden
Duplicity III
Visions in Meditation #3: Plato's Cave
Visions in Meditation #2: Mesa Verde
Visions in Meditation #4: D.H. Lawrence
Arabic Numeral Series 12
Zone Moment
Nightcats
Unconscious London Strata
Yggdrasill: Whose Roots Are Stars in the Human Mind
The Cat of the Worm's Green Realm
"..." Reel 5
Western History
Sexual Meditation: Room with View
Sexual Meditation: Hotel
Door
Lovemaking
Three Films: Blue White/Blood's Tone/Vein
Sincerity I
Scenes from Under Childhood, Section Three
The Shores of Phos: A Fable
Scenes from Under Childhood, Section Two
The Animals of Eden and After
Daybreak and Whiteye
The Peaceable Kingdom
Scenes from Under Childhood, Section Four
Angels'
Skein
Aquarien
Sexual Meditation: Open Field
Roman Numeral: II
Water for Maya
Window Suite of Children's Songs
Song 21
Song 24
American 30s Song
My Mountain: Song 27
Song 20
Song 17
My Mtn. Song 27 Part II: Rivers
Song 22
Song 25
Song 18
Song 19
Song 16
Song 28
Song 26
15 Song Traits
Song 29
Jane
Loud Visual Noises
Sexual Meditation: Office Suite
Sexual Meditation: Faun's Room, Yale
The Harrowing
Tryst Haunt
Films by Stan Brakhage: An Avant-Garde Home Movie
In Between
Sartre's Nausea
Oh Life - a Woe Story - the A Test News
Persian Series #11
Persian Series #7
Persian Series #6
Persian Series #12
Persian Series #8
Persian Series #10
Persian Series #9
The Trip to Door
Fox Fire Child Watch
Egyptian Series
Persian Series #17
Persian Series #13
Persian Series #14
Persian Series #15
Persian Series #18
Persian Series #16
Seasons...
Eye Myth Educational
Jesus Trilogy and Coda
Ascension
Panels for the Walls of Heaven
Chartres Series
Self Song & Death Song
Dark Night of The Soul
Resurrectus Est
Shockingly Hot
The 'b' Series
The Birds Of Paradise
Prelude 3
Prelude 4
Prelude 1
Prelude 2
Prelude 9
Prelude 11
Prelude 7
Prelude 5
Prelude 12
Prelude 8
Prelude 13
Prelude 6
Prelude 10
Prelude 14
Stately Mansions Did Decree
Coupling
Persian Series #2
Persian Series #3
Persian Series #1
Lovesong 4
Lovesong 5 & 6
Lovesong 3
Persian Series #4
Window
Roman Numeral: I
Persian Series #5
Sketches
20 Little Films
Colorado Legend
Ballad of the Colorado Ute
23rd Psalm Branch
"..." Reel 3
The Governor
Arabic Numeral Series 3
Arabic Numeral Series 6
Arabic Numeral Series 1
Arabic Numeral Series 2
Arabic Numeral Series 4
Arabic Numeral Series 5
Arabic Numeral Series 15
Arabic Numeral Series 11
Arabic Numeral Series 19
Arabic Numeral Series 16
Arabic Numeral Series 0 + 10
Arabic Numeral Series 13
Arabic Numeral Series 9
Arabic Numeral Series 18
Arabic Numeral Series 14
Arabic Numeral Series 7
Arabic Numeral Series 8
Arabic Numeral Series 17
23rd Psalm Branch: Part I
Passage Through: A Ritual
Occam's Thread
Cannot Exist
Gift
Cannot Not Exist
Made Manifest
I...
23rd Psalm Branch: Part II
Roman Numeral: VII
Roman Numeral: IV
Roman Numeral: VIII
Roman Numeral: IX
Roman Numeral: VI
Roman Numeral: V
Roman Numeral: III
Clancy
In Consideration of Pompeii
Christ Mass Sex Dance
The Lion and the Zebra Make God's Raw Jewels
Prelude 15
Prelude 16
Prelude 21
Prelude 22
Prelude 24
Prelude 17
Prelude 19
Prelude 20
Prelude 23
Prelude 18
By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume Two
By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume One
The Loom
4A
Short Films 1975
We Hold These
Blossom-Gift/Favor
Micro-Garden
Blue Value
Cloud Chamber
Bird
Worm and Web Love
Marilyn's Window
City Streaming
Babylon Series #1
Confession
Babylon Series #2
Flight
Babylon Series #3
Highs
Centre
Rembrandt, Etc., and Jane
Sincerity V
Faustfilm: An Opera
Faust IV
Nightmare Series
Moilsome Toilsome
Faust 3: Candida Albacore
Vision of the Fire Tree
For Life, Against the War
Sexual Saga
Hymn to Her
Alternating Currents
Fireloop
Last Hymn to the Night - Novalis
Very
Night Mulch
Other
The Presence
Trio
Soldiers and Other Cosmic Objects
The Dream, N.Y.C., The Return, The Flower
Sluice
RR
Agnus Dei Kinder Synapse
“He was born, he suffered, he died.”
Sincerity II
Purity and After
Nodes
Dance Shadows by Danelle Helander
Divertimento
Salome
The "Lost" Films
The Female Mystique and Spare Leaves (for Gordon)
Absence
The Fur of Home
"..." Reel 4
Sol
Beautiful Funerals
Cricket Requiem
Duplicity II
Interpolations 1-5
Sincerity IV
Aftermath
Polite Madness
@
Through Wounded Eyes
Sincerity III
Duplicity I
Concrescence
Short Films 1976
Spring Cycle
Two Found Objects of Charles Boultenhouse
Dominion
The Aerodyne
Matins
The Thatch of Night
Paranoia Corridor
Tragoedia
Airs
Sexual Meditation #1: Motel
Earthen Aerie
"..." Reel 1
The Earth Song of the Cricket
"..." Reel 2
Dance
Scenes from Under Childhood
Hell Spit Flexion
Tortured Dust Part 3
Short Films 1975: #10 (Painted Lightning)
Short Films 1975: #9 (Forest Love Scene)
Tortured Dust Part 2
Tortured Dust Part 1
Tortured Dust Part 4
Lovesong 2
Stan's Window & Work in Progress
Black Vision
SB
Max