Lillian Schwartz
Directing
Biography
Lillian Schwartz is a pioneer in the field of computer animation. In the early 1970s, she became the official artist in residence at AT&T Bell Laboratories, IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Laboratory and at Lucent Technologies Bell Labs Innovations where she would experiment with early computer graphics programs to create short works of film art. After studying traditional free-hand drawing while a nursing student at the University of Cincinnati, Schwartz became interested in incorporating technology into her artwork. Along with computer scientist Ken Knowlton, she helped create the image-generating programming language EXPLOR, with which she created many of her works in the mid to late '70s. In addition to her animation, Schwartz has also done research in the field of using computers to analyse the working methods of traditional artists such as Picasso, Matisse and Da Vinci by amassing large databases of their colour palettes and structures within their art. (from: http://www.undergroundfilmjournal.com/tag/lillian-schwartz/)
Known For
Pablo Neruda’s life unfolds and becomes the basis for the symbolic representation of his poem “Barcarola”, intermixing live action, still footage, computer images, dance and poetry.
Poet of His People
A colorful collage, with a subtle ecology theme, made largely from footage from trial runs of programs used for many of the other films.
Mis-Takes
Regulars gather at The Blue Jay, a gay bar in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, to celebrate Christmas Eve 1971 with people they consider family.
Some of My Best Friends Are...
A short Emmy award-winning animation promoting New York's newly renovated Museum of Modern Art.
The Museum of Modern Art
Pioneering artist Lillian Schwartz demonstrates the human input -- integrity, artistic sensibilities, and aesthetics -- that goes into producing early computer art. In voice-over she explains the intent behind a number of her films and offers insight into the artist's problems and decisions. Produced for AT&T.
The Artist and the Computer
Schwartz reordered and combined angular contours, broken planes, and distorted proportions in her own pictorial structures in an homage to Picasso's style.
Beyond Picasso
Drawing on rare performances, interviews, animations, and experimental film, this documentary surveys the formative years of electronic music from 1948 to 1980. Featuring pioneering composers and inventors—including Milton Babbitt and Leon Theremin—the film explores the experimental technologies, academic laboratories, and creative struggles that shaped the early evolution of electronic sound.
OHM+: The Early Gurus Of Electronic Music : 1948–1980
A tortuous journey, in the company of the Spanish painter Salvador Dalí, around the figure of the enigmatic and visionary French poet Raymond Roussel (1877-1933).
Raymond Roussel: The Day of Glory
“Schwartz’ METAMORPHOSIS is a complex study of evolving lines, planes, and circles, all moving at different speeds, and resulting in subtle color changes. The only computer-generated work on the program, it transcends what many of us have come to expect of such film with its subtle variations and significant use of color.” – Catherine Egan
Metamorphosis
Blasting off into cosmic visual abstraction, pioneering computer artist Lillian Schwartz’s UFOs is a kinetic tour-de-force whose innovative pixel pigmentation showcased advanced stereoscopic technology as art.
UFOs
Music by Albert E. Miller. Combination of musicians and dancers in free form movements captured by computer-controlled-video which permits distortions and variations of the imagery. Continued experimentation with Rock Music and performers.
Ensemble #1
Escher-like images stepping through the frames to the music of a jazz group. Delightful–shows a depth in the imagery not accomplished by computer before.
Kinesis
“Apotheosis, which is developed from images made in the radiation treatment of human cancer, is the most beautiful and the most subtly textured work in computer animation I have seen.” – Roger Greenspun, N. Y. Times Award Foothills-1973.
Apotheosis
This film is strongly rooted in its underlying mathematical structure which forms the basis for the images. The music by Jean Claude Risset is integral to the creation of this concert of space and time.
Newtonian II
This tape combines live-images filmed in the Yucatan with output from the Paik video-synthesizer ribboned with computer-generated images.
Mayan
Music by Frank Lewin. Study of the mood changes between three heads with slow moving subtle differences. Two heads are made of wood. The third head is of the artist L.S. UNESCO sponsored exhibition in Paris in 1978. Award in international competition – Japan, 1980 . Sponsored by Victor Co., JVC, Burston-Marstellar agency.
Trois Visage
Study in motion based on Muybridge’s photographs of man running.
Olympiad
A 4 minute film based on flowing changing images from liquid-like faces to flashing abstract imagery.
Reflections
Slow disintegration and aging of artists head, revealing underlying bone structure. Created using old picture-phone technology. New music added in 2013.
Veil of Years
Pixillation features computer generated abstract animations set to Moog-synthesized sound.