Jet

This video’s exhilarating dynamism results from a precisely composed interplay of color and form which structures the viewer’s perception of it significantly. michaela schwentner’s work method closely resembles that of electroacoustic sound artists radian who employ a variety of painterly elements which are allowed to interact, overlapped or contrasted. Vertical and horizontal lines are arranged asymmetrically to resemble a grid over a diffuse reality which shifts up or down along with the lines, appears to move past or into the fore- or background or dissolves, parts of it disappearing completely.
The view into the depth of the space is blocked repeatedly, the view of the real world remains fuzzy and fragmentary. The grainy black-and-white of this fleeting reality, reminiscent of photographs or archival film footage, passes at a speed which precludes registering it in its entirety; solely subjective assembly is possible. Variously sized orange dots and squares employed minimalisticallyæare in harmony with musical punctuation, creating a picturesque moment. The result is counterpoint, not only with regard to colour, to the otherwise cool shades of the images moving past, but also spatial. While the multiple layers suggest depth, the dots remain on the surface. They appear and disappear, then become permeable and lay circular colour filters over the images behind them.
The journey through this landscape of sound and image passes quickly, apparently stopping only when the music is extremely concentrated. It stops in fact when the viewer
is gently brought back to earth by landscape scenes at the conclusion. (Christa Benzer)
Translation: Steve Wilder

Orig. Title
Jet
Year
2003
Country
Austria
Duration
6 min
Category
Avantgarde/Arts
Orig. Language
No Dialogue
Downloads
Jet (Image)
Credits
Director
Michaela Schwentner
Sound
Radian
Available Formats
Digital File (prores, h264) (Distribution Copy)
Aspect Ratio
1:1,37
Sound Format
stereo
Frame Rate
25 fps
Festivals (Selection)
2003
Wroclaw - WRO-International Media Art Biennale
Graz - Diagonale, Festival des Österreichischen Films
London - BFI International Film Festival
Weimar - back-up festival. new media in film
Helsinki - Avanto Media Art Festival
Augsburg - Kurzfilmwochenende
Chicago Underground Film Festival
2004
Hong Kong - Int. Film Festival
Osnabrück - EMAF - European Media Art Festival
Melbourne - Int. Film Festival
Ann Arbor - Film Festival
2005
Athen - Synch Festival