presented in association with Pacific Film Archive and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
[members: $7 / non-members: $10]
In March and April of 1966, Markopoulos created Galaxie, a unparalleled work of cinematic portraiture, documenting writers and artists from his New York circle, including Parker Tyler, W.H. Auden, Jasper Johns, Susan Sontag, Storm De Hirsch, Jonas Mekas, Allen Ginsberg and George and Mike Kuchar, most filmed in their homes or studios. Filmed in vibrant color, Galaxie presents an encyclopedic elaboration of the single-frame photography and complex superimpositions found in Ming Green, Through a Lens Brightly and other works and stands as a vibrant response to Andy Warhol’s contemporary series of black–and-white machine-eyed Screen Tests. With the portraits presented in the order created, the film affords its viewer the opportunity to observe the rapid development of Markopoulos’ technique over the weeks of its creation. Indeed, Galaxie pulses with life and stands as a masterpiece of in-camera composition, editing and economy. (Steve Polta)