Born the heir of the Burroughs’ adding machine estate, he struggled throughout his life with addiction, control systems, and self. He was forced to deal with the tragedy of killing his wife and the repercussions of neglecting his son.
His novel, Naked Lunch, was one of the last books to be banned by the U.S. government. Allen Ginsberg and Norman Mailer testified on behalf of the book. The courts eventually overturned their decision in 1966, ruling that the book had an important social value. It remains one of the most recognized literary works of the 20th century.
William Burroughs was one of the first to cross the dangerous boundaries of queer and drug culture in the 1950s, and write about his experiences. Eventually he was hailed the godfather of the beat generation and influenced artists for generations to come.
Archivi tag: documentary
william s. burroughs – francis bacon documentary / howard brookner and nigel finch. 1982
During the filming for the 1982 film on William Burroughs, Arena followed him to the home and studio of old friend Francis Bacon, where he drops in for a cup of tea and a catch up. This meeting has never been broadcast, and this clip is shown uncut as the pair discuss their views on painting.
Directed by Howard Brookner and Nigel Finch
Series Editor – Anthony Wall
vostell happening (2012)
Experimental Documentary Shortfilm.
Spoken Language: Spanish & German with English Subtitles.
Vostell Happening offers an approach to the creative universe of Wolf Vostell: a founding member of the Fluxus Movement in Europe, pioneer of the happening, installation and video art, Vostell is recognized as one of the most important artists of the second half of the 20th century.
His work and philosophy claiming creativity as part of everyday life under the maxim “art = life, life = art”.
In 1974, Vostell met Malpartida de Cáceres, (Extremadura), where he declared “A masterpiece of nature” the natural park of Los Barruecos. There he conceived the idea of creating an Art Museum unique in the world, a place where art, life and nature converge.
the punk kebab documentary / pedro rojas. 1978
bacon meets burroughs [compiled & coiled edit] / phil barrington. 2018
Bacon Meets Burroughs
[Compiled & Coiled Edit]
During the recording for the 1982 film on William Burroughs (the resulting programme airing in the UK on 22nd February 1983), Arena followed him to the home and studio of old friend Francis Bacon, where he drops in for a cup of tea and a catch up. This meeting has never been fully broadcast, and the clip is supposedly shown uncut as the pair discuss their views on painting.
This unofficial, Fair Use/Fair Dealings compilation by Barrington Arts also includes all other related footage from that day in 1982 that has ever been publicly leaked.
This unauthorised edit also includes a soundtrack of COIL tracks recorded in the same period as the film footage (1982-83).
The majority of the footage here was directed by Howard Brookner and Nigel Finch.
commissioner of sewers / klaus maeck. 1986
flicker / nik sheehan. 2009
The flicker effect was identified by the famously independent-minded scientist W. Grey Walter in his best- selling 1953 book The Living Brain.
Grey Walter – who was soon to become the father of Artificial Intelligence – discovered that by using high-powered stroboscopes and experimenting with trigger feedback techniques where the flash was set to fire in synchronization with the brain’s rhythms, the brain is, “transformed temporarily to a different sort of brain.” Walter found that time itself could become lost or disturbed. As he observed of one subject:
“[He had] the sense of having been pushed sideways in time by flicker. Yesterday was no longer behind, and tomorrow was no longer ahead..”
Stroboscopic light, or light flashing on the eye between 8 and 13 flashes per second, induces alpha wave activity in the brain – a state normally associated with dreaming and creativity. Subjects often report seeing shapes and colours, some have full-blown hallucinations, others mystical experiences. Approximately one in 4,000 people will have an epileptic seizure.
In 1997, ten million Japanese schoolchildren, and some adults, tuned into the animé cartoon Pokemon to see a “flashing explosion with high frequency red and blue flicker stimulation” hit the screen and persist. What happened next sparked international headlines. Some viewers went into a trance-like state, as if hypnotized. Others experienced altered vision and shortness of breath. Some passed out, others had seizures. Hospitals all over Japan received admissions, though nobody was permanently damaged.
http://www.flickerflicker.com/flash/WhatIsFlicker/WhatIsFlicker.html
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/434039.Chapel_of_Extreme_Experience
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