Mars: An Optic Aspic

Mars: An Optic Aspic

1972 · 8 min

Set to Holst's Mars, the Bringer of War, Bill Etra's original performance on 9 B&W monitors was shot in real-time on 16mm color film by Woody Vasulka. The 16mm film added some unexpected and welcome color effects that lend themselves to the composition and the choice was made to leave them in.

Directed by Bill Etra

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Street Scenes 1970

Street Scenes 1970 · 1970

Street Scenes 1970

MovieDocumentary

Two protest rallies against the Vietnam War that took place in May 1970: the Hard Hat Riot on Wall Street in New York City and Kent State/Cambodia Incursion Protest in Washington, D.C.

Narcissicon

Narcissicon · 1973

A narrative self-discovery theme done in real time in Art Nouveau style.

Grumbles

Grumbles · 1973

"Video by Bill Etra, early to mid 1970s, perhaps at the WNET TV Lab?"

Heartbeat

Heartbeat · 1973

MovieDocumentaryAnimation

An early work by Bill & Louise Etra, with Peter Crown. Made with biotelemetry equipment and video synthesizer at the TV Lab, WNET, NYC.

Ms. Muffet

Ms. Muffet · 1975

Computer/ video interface piece by Bill and Louise Etra with Dr. Lou Katz.

Tales from Beneath the Sheets

Tales from Beneath the Sheets · 1973

Tales from Beneath the Sheets

Reclined underneath a bedsheet, Louise Etra reads an excerpt from chapter 3 of Legman's "Oragenitalism: Oral Techniques of Gential Excitation". Visual effects done on the Rutt-Etra synthesizer.

Avalon

Avalon is a real-time animation made to demonstrate the possibilities of Bill Etra's prototype digital video synthesizer that he, at the time, called "The New Machine". Set to Django Reinhardt's "Avalon".

Lady of the Lake

Lady of the Lake · 1974

Lady of the Lake

Made by Bill and Louise Etra with the Rutt/Etra Video Synthesizer in 1974. "A short piece of Gothic horror."

Abstractions on a Bedsheet

Abstractions on a Bedsheet · 1973

Abstractions on a Bedsheet

Bill Etra's "Abstractions on a Bedsheet" was made with the Rutt/Etra Video Synthesizer under PDP11-10 computer control. Bill said that the climax took as long as the rest of the piece to compose and program.

Laser Quantum L

Laser Quantum L · 1972

Laser Quantum L

An early work by Bill and Louise Etra.

How to Scramble The Cosmic Egg's

How to Scramble The Cosmic Egg's · 2016

How to Scramble The Cosmic Egg's

"A substantial late work by Bill Etra". A "fast version" also exists.

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