Re: Gregory Markopoulos and queer aesthetics

From: Steve Polta (email suppressed)
Date: Mon Nov 30 2009 - 14:04:31 PST


To say that Markopoulos's had "Greek and poetic elements" is something of an understatement as many of his films were unashamedly overt takes on traditional greek mythological themes. To make such an argument would hardly be a stretch. A perusal of VISIONARY FILM (first edition only!) would make this clear. (Right?)

Camp seemed to be far from GM's mind; by my understanding he was very much interested in making serious works of art. The exception to this may be the GM film (can't recall the title) which features Andy Warhol in a scuba suit riding an exercise bike. (I wish I was making this up but I'm not.) It's my impression that Markopoulos' audiences back in the day (mid- late '60s) were too eager (in his opinion) to see his works as camp, or were conversely turned off by his seriousness and pretensions, and that this rejection by the American philistines contributed to his permanent departure from our shores.

I encourage your research and encourage you to take a look at PENSAO GLOBO by Matthias Mueller for an interesting mid-'90s update on Markopoulos' "queer aesthetics." If only because I would like to see something written on the subject...

Steve Polta

--- On Mon, 11/30/09, madeleine bernstorff <email suppressed> wrote:

> From: madeleine bernstorff <email suppressed>
> Subject: Re: Gregory Markopoulos and queer aesthetics
> To: email suppressed
> Date: Monday, November 30, 2009, 12:17 PM
> I might suggest to read moe meyers "
> politics and poetics of camp" and
> speak to robert beavers.
> Best
> Madeleine bernstorff
>
>
> Am 30.11.09 21:07 schrieb "Filippou, Eleni" unter <email suppressed>:
>
> > Hello there,
> >
> > I am doing my PhD research on Gregory Markopoulos'
> work and I am writing now a
> > chapter about queer aesthetics in his work. I will
> argue that his work is not
> > camp and that he has Greek and poetic elements opposed
> to camp. Any help to
> > this direrction? I would appreciate your opinion.
> > I am based on Susan Sontag's essay 'Notes on Camp',
> but if you have something
> > more to suggest it would be nice.
> >
> > Many thanks,
> >
> > Eleni Filippou
> >
> >
> >
> __________________________________________________________________
> > For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.
>
>
> __________________________________________________________________
> For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.
>

      

__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.