Back in the 1970s you could be disco and psychedelic, psychedelic and disco – and there was nobody ever better to prove it than Bionda
Tag Archives: 1970’s psychedelia
“Mutations”-Lillian F. Schwartz, 1973
7 Octhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKGrz4AMbqk
Wow! Very meditative and interesting early computer generated animation from Lillian Schwartz. Below is text from her website:
Lillian Schwartz, resident artist and consultant at Bell Laboratories (New Jersey), 1969-2002. During the 70s and 80s Schwartz developed a catalogue of visionary techniques for the use of the computer system by artists. Her formal explorations in abstract animation involved the marriage of film, computers and music in collaboration with such luminaries as computer musicians Jean-Claude Risset, Max Mathews, Vladimir Ussachevsky, Milton Babbit, and Richard Moore. Schwartz’s films have been shown and won awards at the Venice Biennale, Zagreb, Cannes, The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and nominated and received Emmy nominations and awards.
Her work has been exhibited at, and is owned by, The Museum of Modern Art (New York), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), The Whitney Museum of American Art (New York), The Moderna Museet (Stockholm), Centre Beauborg (Paris), Stedlijk Museum of Art (Amsterdam), and the Grand Palais Museum (Paris). Lumen has collaborated with Lillian Schwartz and curator Gregory Kurcewicz to compile a touring package of these important works. “A Beautiful Virus Inside the Machine” features animations restored to video. “The Artist and the Computer”, 1976, 10 mins is a documentary about her work. Produced by Larry Keating for AT&T, “The Artist and the Computer is an excellent introductory informational film that dispels some of the ‘mystery’ of computer-art technology, as it clarifies the necessary human input of integrity, artistic sensibilities, and aesthetics. Ms. Schwartz’s voice over narration explains what she hoped to accomplish in the excerpts from a number of her films and gives insight into the artist’s problems and decisions.” – John Canemaker
“Lillian F. Schwartz.” Lillian F Schwartz. N.p., n.d. Web. retrieved 06 Oct. 2016.
Geometry of Circles – Philip Glass Music on Sesame Street (1979)
15 AugPhilip Glass with a Koyaanisqatsi style music in this sacred geometry video taken from Sesame St.
Gong – Dynamite and other unbelievable psychedelic 1970s gems from Gong
13 AugThat the 1970s were one helluva crazy ass time, becomes immediately obvious to anyone watching these videos by Gong. It’s hard to believe that such far-out performances were ever allowed on national television, much less that they garnered international success. What’s more, its hard to imagine anything like this going on national television these days. These four videos by Gong show the full creative madness of Gong wizard Daevid Allen, who passed away last year, an inspiring reality hacker, if there ever was one.
This is what his son Orlando Monday Allen wrote to upon Allen’s death.
“And so dada Ali, bert camembert, the dingo Virgin, divided alien and his other 12 selves prepare to pass up the oily way and back to the planet of love. And I rejoice and give thanks. Thanks to you dear dear daevid for introducing me to my family of magick brothers and mystic sisters, for revealing the mysteries, you were the master builder but now have made us all the master builders. As the eternal wheel turns we will continue your message of love and pass it around. We are all one, we are all gong. Rest well my friend, float off on our ocean of love. The gong vibration will forever sound and its vibration will always lift and enhance. You have left such a beautiful legacy and we will make sure it forever shines in our children and their children. Now is the happiest time of yr life. Blessed be”
DAEVID ALLEN, 1938-2015, RIP
Sesame Street Pinball Number Count (All Segments)
6 AugSesame Street’s classic pinbball no. count video proves again that Sesame st. is the queen of all psychedelic TV shows. In 2012 an updated and awesomely psychedelic 3D version of the clip was produced by YouTube user animaysh which is a delight unto itself.
Легенды перуанских индейцев / The Legends of the Peruvian Indians (1978)
6 Julhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb9VtFS_I7I
Directed by Vladimir Pekar in The Soviet Union. Some really nice trance dance moments in this and all around great character designs.
The peace-pipe (1979) Trubka Mira
1 FebA 1979 Ukrainian cartoon tells the full story of the peace pipe.
1970s psychedelic Bundesliga fashion
4 JanIn 1970 German fashion designers were worried that Bundesliga players were not colorful enough to meet the demands of the psychedelic era so they redesigned the soccer players uniform in a form that would suit the times. This is the result. The TV presenter even speaks about how we must all seek “to make this colorful world more colorful”. Ah! These were the times 🙂
“The Point” (1971)- concept and music by Harry Nilsson, directed by Henry Wolf
3 OctIdo’s post the other day featuring the 1977 Israeli animation “The Banana Bender”, made me think of the lovely 1971 film “The Point”. Created by musician Harry Nilsson, the animated film follows the travels of Oblio and his dog Arrow as they escape the oppression of their pointy headed countrymen.
Nilsson’s explained synthesis of The Point: “I was on acid and I looked at the trees and I realized that they all came to points, and the little branches came to points, and the houses came to points. I thought, ‘Oh! Everything has a point, and if it doesn’t, then there’s a point to it.’”-Jacobson, Alan (May 2004). “What’s The Point? The Legendary 1971 Animated Feature on DVD”. Bright Lights Film Journal (44). ISSN 0147-4049
Nilsson’s soundtrack is sweet, melancholy and lovely. Here is an excerpt featuring one of my favorites, “Think About Your Troubles”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2O3cUN8yWk
And another groovy one “Are You Sleeping” where the animation team makes fun use out of the optical printer and animated morphs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At2IIzug0WQ
The entire 75 minute film can be streamed here:
The Daily Psychedelic Video 