City

Ken Kobland has been working in various aspects of film and video since 1971, creating productions in collaboration with performing artists such as Philip Glass, the Wooster Group, Elizabeth LeCompte, and Spalding Gray. His work explores a variety of themes and issues, often embracing a photographic aesthetic within the context of video. Beautifully edited, his work merges diaristic and documentary categories, presenting an art of video that approximates photo-journalism. 

This 7-DVD box set contains the following titles from the artist:

Disc 1

This 12 minute video by Tom Palazzolo and Chicago writer Jack Helbig tells the story of the recently discovered Chicago street photographer Vivian Maier. Though she was unknown in her lifetime, her extensive body of work is rewriting the history of post-World War II American street photography. The video, told from the point of view of Maier herself, recounts her life and work, from her childhood in France to her move to NYC in 1951 and subsequent relocation to Chicago, where the majority of her work was done.

In this early Tom Rubnitz, Barbara Lipp and Tom Koken collaboration, "Frieda" performs her rap song with a bevy of dolls as back-up singers and dancers. Features rock-bottom production values and song lyrics by Barbara Lipp and Tom Koken.

Modesty, whimsy, and clarity of design grace the work of Joe Brainard (1941-1994), an artist and writer whose evocations of memory and desire perhaps found their greatest expression in his memoir-poem I Remember.

Parry Teasdale, David Cort and Chuck Kennedy visit The Kitchen in New York looking for Shirley Clarke, and bump into Steina and Woody Vasulka who are overseeing a show in progress.  A few doors down they find Shirley in her studio, dressed in white and full of energy.  She shows them around, pointing out monitors and lighting set ups.

Parry shows her an arm-mounted video camera he has made and bought along for her to try out -- the first time she has seen one.  Amid lively banter, Shirley jokes about how one day cameras will be small enough to store on a wristwatch.

A troupe of male and female jugglers and musicians perform for a growing crowd in Central Park, New York, led by Hovey Burgess and Judy Finelli.  The sun is shining, and the troupe are skilful, playful, and flirtatious.  The crowd of children, parents, and office workers enjoy the show, and at the end happily throw money into the hat.

Burgess later wrote a seminal book on circus techniques, and has been dubbed founder of the "new circus movement".  Finelli went on to become artistic director of the Pickle Family Circus in San Francisco

Newsreel footage of Occupy Wall Street movement protesters on November 17, 2011, three days after the destruction of the camp at Zuccotti Park.  Footage captures an evening rally at Foley Square and a march across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Director, Camera, Edit: Jem Cohen, Soundtrack music:  Guy Picciotto

This title is also available on Gravity Hill Newsreels: Coccupy Wall Street, Series Two.