In conjunction with the current NZ Film Archive exhibition of groundbreaking gay filmmaker Kenneth Anger's Icons NZ author Alice L Hutchison is to present a talk on Anger's work which will be followed by the Southern Hemisphere premiere of his most recent film, Mouse Heaven (2004). A counter-culture icon of the twentieth century and patriarch of underground cinema, Kenneth Anger is a unique figure in the history of art and film. In works such as Scorpio Rising, 1963, Kustom Kar Kommandos, 1965, and Puce Moment, 1949/70, his films present a gloriously kaleidoscopic vision of glamour and decadence in the 20th Century. In works such as Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome, 1954, he explored his interest in the occult teachings of Aleister Crowley. Pioneering the use of improvisation and pastiche, Anger's influence has reverberated through film, contemporary art, the music industry. Several of Anger's films feature collaborations with contemporary musicians including Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and Mick Jagger who created the soundtrack for Invocation of My Demon Brother. Lucifer Rising (1970-80) featured an appearance from Marianne Faithfull and a soundtrack recorded in prison by ex-Love guitarist Bobby Beausoleil. Mouse Heaven was filmed after Anger was granted access to one of the world's largest private collections of Mickey Mouse dolls, puppets and paraphernalia. The result is described by the NZ Film Archive as a lively series of vignettes set (in classic Anger style) to different musical tracks, ranging from The Boswell Sisters to The Proclaimers. Mouse Heaven premiered to acclaim at the Museum of Modern Art in 2005. The film was completed with funding from Sir Paul Getty and the Rockefeller Foundation. New Zealander Alice Hutchison is the author of Kenneth Anger: A Demonic Visionary. The book is the product of a close working relationship between Hutchison and Anger over the past four years and is the first comprehensive and fully-illustrated monograph on the filmmaker. Kenneth Anger's Icons is an exhibition of stills from Anger's 1969 film Invocation of My Demon Brother. Presented by Alice L Hutchison and the Film Archive, the exhibition is installed in the mediagallery from 31 March - 20 May 2006. The exhibition also features a collection of original posters, photographs and ephemera reproduced in the book from Hutchison's collection, much of which was given to her by Anger from his personal collection. GayNZ.com; NZ Film Archive - 4th May 2006
Credit: GayNZ.com; NZ Film Archive
First published: Thursday, 4th May 2006 - 12:00pm