Periodic Vibrations in an Elastic Medium (1976)
Discrete images were modeled into a filmic form which grew out of visual kinetic linkages rather than linguistic modes, musical notions or anecdotal concerns. The elimination of narrative sequence suggests the concept of simultaneity which is usually associated with painting and which is demonstrated by the poetry of William Carlos Williams. Pale blue passages divide the film into three sections, composed from several thousand feet of film exposed between 1973 and 1976 in a variety of geographical sites. The title of the film makes reference to Newton's corpuscular theory of light.
"Its three sections experiment in different modes of perceiving light. The opening section is reminiscent of Monet's studies of the changes of light over time at Rouen Cathedral .... The second section works largely with movement within the frame .... The images unfold through visual associations, such as the symmetrical images which balance and are the inverse of those preceding .... Although Lipzin's images ... are simply recordings of natural occurrences, PERIODIC VIBRATIONS IN AN ELASTIC MEDIUM is a testimony to the beauty and originality of Lipzin's eye ...." - Linda Dackman, Cinemanews
running time: 15 min. screening format: 16mm film silent color/black-and-white
Periodic Vibrations in an Elastic Medium is available for rental on 16mm and as a digital file from http://canyoncinema.com/catalog/film/?i=1575