Re: suggestions? : sensory overload

From: Tony Conrad (email suppressed)
Date: Mon Jan 18 2010 - 22:04:55 PST


Oh, Ken...........

If you're that good at deflating things, I bet you can't remember the last time
your senses were "overloaded."

------------t0ny

On Tue 01/19/10 1:00 AM , Ken Bawcom email suppressed sent:
> I'll try to remember that, next time my senses are overloaded. But, I
> doubt I'll be able to...
>
> Ken B.
>
>
> Quoting Tony Conrad <(address suppressed)
> FALO.EDU>:
> > Please stop!
> >
> > This is not a sensible topic.
> >
> > "Overload" originates in 1)
> electronics and 2) mechanics or law, and > the usages
> > in these two areas already contradict one
> another. An electrical > circuit can be
> > said to include a "load", and if it's
> "overloaded" it draws too much > power and
> > burns up. But senses can't meaningfully be
> "overloaded" in this way, > since there
> > is no power drain associated with the viewer and
> the film is > certainly not going
> > to burn up.
> >
> > A mechanical system may on the other hand be
> overloaded if the > strain on it is
> > too great and the system snaps. Also, in legal
> terms a vehicle, for > instance, may
> > be over loaded with people or personal
> possessions: a condition > defined by its
> > potential for an accident (arising directly or
> indirectly from the > condition),
> > which is prevented by the police.
> >
> > "Sensory overload" is a metaphorical
> invocation of the viewer's > sensory pathways
> > as circuits (not as mechanical systems or pickup
> trucks), but the > metaphor only
> > works if the term is also understood as implying
> some kind of > excessive strain
> > toward a breaking limit, or as tempting
> accidental and incidental > damage -- with
> > an implicit sense of illegality.
> >
> > This sort of stew -- a confusion of
> semi-contradictory but in each > sense somehow
> > vivid metaphorical relationships -- is what
> makes trashy criticism > exciting. But
> > don't try to extract a coherent critical
> category out of this mess. > If you do,
> > the latent contradictions rapidly infect your
> discourse, and we get what has> happened here: an "overloaded"
> discussion of a term that is itself > "overloaded,"
> > where "sensory" overload has turned to
> "sense" overload.>
> > --------t0ny
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mon 01/18/10 5:45 PM , Myron Ort email suppressed
> sent:>> In 1968, the era of psychedelic light shows
> at concerts, the>> popularity of underground cinemas showing
> all kinds of unusual>> experimental films , concerts by John Cage
> et al, "happenings">> etc , given that context "Cut
> Ups" doesn't seem that far out to me in>> the "overload" sense, however,
> it is a very good film, perhaps even>> a pioneering film, and one that I
> certainly would have been excited>> about in 1968 (as I am now), since some us
> were clamoring for that>> kind of thing back then. So I take it, we
> are maybe searching for a>> "term" which might describe such a
> narratively "non>> linear" approach and this is what you
> (and others?) are >> designating "sensory
> >> overload"? Would there not be several
> other alternatives terms?>> "Overload" has this "I can't
> take it --too much man! my>> head will explode!" connotation
> which, I guess, Is what I am >> objecting to. Cut
> >> Ups, through an approach to montage
> (collage) breaks up (disjoints)>> otherwise
> "figurative/narrative/continuous" type recognizable>> shots and reassembles
them with a type of
> "musicality" instead. Its a>> musical! An experimental film
> "musical". Is that the term we>> are looking for? ha ha ha. smiley face,
> etc.>>
> >> Myron Ort
> >>
> >>
> >> On Jan 18, 2010, at 1:11 PM, Jack Sargeant
> wrote:>>
> >> > I'm pretty sure Cut-Ups is on Ubuweb
> or>> Youtube.>
> >> > OK, by sensory overload in this
> instance I mean>> that the film uses > image and sound in
> such a way as to break any>> notion of coherence, > so that, watching
> it, the audience are compelled>> to experience the > film rather than
> just understand it or follow>> it. It resists the > normal sensory
> satisfactions associated with>> film, both the > experiences of hearing
> and watching are>> transformed, the > combination of
> linguistic permutations in the>> narration and the (on > first viewing)
> apparently random images means>> that the audience > have to 'go with the
> film' and experience>> something utterly >
> unfamiliar.>> >
> >> > As I said the notion of overload would
> be>> personal, I have no > problem with
> Cut-Ups but grew up in an MTV>> riddled world, however > for somebody
> watching the film in '68 the>> experience was probably > utterly
> different.>> >
> >> > Jack
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > On 19 Jan 2010, at 07:17, Myron
> Ort>> wrote:>
> >> >> I was hoping for a
> "theoretical">> definition of "sensory overload"
> >> rather than another example >> of a film or
> >> whatever that I cannot >> easily
> access. Even watching 77 minutes of>> Sistiaga's handpainted >> @ sound
> speed with overloud live punk>> music, I wasn't really >> thinking
> "sensory overload", just>> "unpleasant experience". Even
> >> multiple screen performances >> don't seem like
> >> "sensory overload" to >>
> me, but just what they are supposed to be.>> I was hoping for a >> definition of
> "sensory overload">> that wouldn't need to include >>
> "handpainted" films almost by>> definition. In other words, once I >>
> accepted the hand painted >> film, or films
> >> where every frame is >> really (or
> really really) different it seems>> there can no longer >> be anything
> called "sensory>> overload". By "handpainted"
> I mean >> the one's where there is not so much>> figurative continuous action >>
> between frames like animation or clearly>> comprehensible >> anthropomorphic
> dancing blobs etc. As>> someone who digs >>
> "experimental filmmaking" and>> phenomena of nature, (pre and post >>
> psychedelic) I am not sure >> there is such a
> >> thing as "sensory >>
> overload".>> >>
> >> >> Myron Ort
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> On Jan 17, 2010, at 4:14 PM, Jack
> Sargeant>> wrote:>>
> >> >>> Although outside the period of
> the>> original question perhaps >>>
> Balch & Burroughs' The Cut Ups could>> be considered an example of >>>
> sensory overload.>> >>> But, of course the very notion
> of>> overload would be a personal >>>
> experience.>> >>>
> >> >>> Jack
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>> On 5 Dec 2009, at 04:04, Myron
> Ort>> wrote:>>>
> >> >>>> Now that I think of it, I
> don't>> think I have ever experienced
> >>>> anything I would call "sensory>> overload" as pertaining to a film
> >>>> experience. Could someone define>> this genre for me. What are
> >>>> the characteristics?>> >>>>
> >> >>>> Thanks.
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> Myron Ort
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> On Dec 3, 2009, at 4:05 PM,
> Mark>> Toscano wrote:>>>>
> >> >>>>> Howdy all -
> >> >>>>>
> >> >>>>> I've been working out a
> possible>> program (or two) of films that
> >>>>> demonstrate the idea of>> "sensory overload", and although I
> have >>>>> a bunch of titles in mind>> already, I'd love to get more
> >>>>> suggestions, especially of work>> from the past 10-15 years or
> >>>>> so. Shorts are preferable, as>> it's meant to be a diverse,
> >>>>> mixed program of numerous>> artists from different
> eras.>>>>>>> >>>>> thanks much for any
> suggestions>> ->>>>>
> >> >>>>> Mark T
> >> >>>>>
> >> >>>>>
> >> >>>>>
> >> >>>>>
> >> >>>>>
> >> >>>>>
> >> >>>>>
> >> >>>>>
> >>
> __________________________________________________________________>>&
> gt;>> For> info on FrameWorks, contact
> >> Pip Chodorov at
> om>.>>>>>>> >>>>
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>>
> >>
> __________________________________________________________________>>&
> gt;> For >> info
> > on FrameWorks, contact Pip
> >> Chodorov at om>.>>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >>
> __________________________________________________________________>>&
> gt; For >> info
> > on FrameWorks, contact Pip
> >> Chodorov at om>.>>>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>
> __________________________________________________________________>>
> For >> info
> > on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov
> >> at om>.>
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> __________________________________________________________________>
> >> For info on
> > FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at
> >> om>.>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> __________________________________________________________________>> For info
on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov
> at om>.>>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> __________________________________________________________________> For info on
FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at
> <(address suppressed)
> om>.>
> >
> >
>
>
>
> "Those who would give up essential liberty
> to purchase a little temporary safety
> deserve neither liberty, nor safety."
> Benjamin Franklin 1775
>
> "I know that the hypnotized never lie... Do ya?"
> Pete Townshend 1971
>
>
>
>
>
>

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