Experimental Class Review: Week 4

This week there was only one film linked on Blackboard, that being Symphonie Diagonale (1924). When I loaded the link the video description also mentioned about Hans Richter's: Rhythm 23.

I thought the more the merrier so I added it to the watch list to analyse today.

Hans Richter: Rhythm 23 (1923)

This was shorter than I was expecting, but also similar to Rhythm 21 in the sense that it makes use of shapes and music to engage with the audience. I think that this piece is quite similar to Rhythm 21 only, there are a few new shapes in the mix. Some look like strings of an instrument, but it is mostly contrived of square and rectangle shapes.

I found the use of the strings imagery a little out of place as the instruments in this video are all percussion based. Other than that for its time I think it is fun and engaging.

Viking Eggeling: Symphonie Diagonale (1924)

I honestly found this a joy to watch. The right angled shapes taking on multiple forms that almost look like sheet music and instruments is really playful, fun and somewhat mesmerizing. For it's time I would have loved to have seen the production process behind creating this, I can only assume that the artist either drew these patterns frame by frame or perhaps made cut outs of shapes.

Either way, I think this piece for its time is brilliant in how it engages with the audience.

Wrapping Up

Through a little research I had not realised that Hans Richter and Viking Eggeling had been friends, before they had become rivals. I think looking at both of their work, it is easy to see why the two became friends. Both of their styles are quite similar, the use of abstract shapes and music to flourish around the screen in some order that the artist has decided upon.

That being said I feel that both of them being rivals is a good thing, what good is experimenting with things if you don't have rival or a bar to overcome.

I really appreciate what the two have achieved, the way the make there films come to life with the personality of shapes to me is amazing.

Thanks for reading!