Architect's Office-CASWALLON THE HEADHUNTER (1986)

Architect's Office - Caswallon The Headhunter (1986) Silent Records
(Cover illustration is a frame from "Fireloop" by Stan Brakhage)












Today is Stan Brakhage's birthday.
He would have been 79.
It's hard to believe he passed away almost 9 years ago at the age of 70 years,2 months.
It seems like a year ago, maybe two.
I was fortunate to have met him when he
came to my city a couple of years before
his passing, for two days of screenings of his work.
I didn't want to take up too much of his time, as he
was in precarious health, and his appearance itself had truly been more than enough. Anyone who ever heard him talk or has seen video of his lectures knows what I am talking about.

For those who don't:
Stan Brakhage was a film-maker of the most personal mind and universal scope.
He was also one of the last great pedagogical links with the classic American Avant Garde- Having known virtually everybody who created art since 1930.(He went to school with James Tenney, Morton Subotnick, and Larry Jordan, for starters).
Listen to his radio broadcasts titled "The Test Of Time" (a title referring to an episode where Carl Ruggles was playing the same chord over and over again, incessantly, studiously, aggresively on the piano, When asked what he was doing, Ruggles replied "I'm giving this chord the test of time.")
In those broadcasts one can hear first-hand stories of some of the great artists of the last century, many of whom he knew personally.
Brakhage's interests encompassed the entire history of art and life, and he managed to put as much of it into his films as he was given time to do: His opus numbers some 400 films.

Well, to continue my story-
I did, however, mention to him when I met him that I owned a couple of films which I offered to put on vhs tape (to transfer from 16mm prints: Two about Jack Chambers (a Canadian artist-filmmaker whom he admired) plus his first film - "Mosaic", and also the Jackson Pollack film where Pollock is shown at work) and promised to send these to him. He said he'd send me a print in return.
Unfortunately, my package surely arrived too late, and he never got to see them. I've always felt bad about that.

I am posting this a little bit hastily (I was only reminded this morning about his birthday) : I would like to present the cover of MY copy of this record, ehich he signed for me,(instead I post the signature alone) and I would like to say something a bit more profound about this artist who was truly one of the greatest of the 20th century, and whose reputation will surely only grow to match his (mostly unaknowledged) influence as time passes.

But Time ties my tongue.So:

To borrow a sign-off from a postcard he sent me, simply:

Blessings, Stan.

Dr I











Side One:

A1- Prelude 326.0
A2- Prewar 329.1-2
A3- War 327.3

Side Two:

B1- Exhausted 329.4
B2- Party/Party 327.5
B3- Poslude 327.6


(This post is a birthday gift for someone who shares Stan's birthday. I hope he enjoys it.)
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