Barb Slack AWS
w ay o f life. O n e o f F o r u m 's m o st a rd e n t lead ers is w estern P e n n sy lv a n ia c h a irm a n M a r
jo rie P ro v a n , a m id d le-ag ed h o usew ife an d m o th e r o f fo u r fro m Irw in . “ I am as lib e rated as I w a n t to b e,” P ro v a n says. “T h e w o m en in A m e rica are th e m o st p riv ileg ed in the h isto ry o f th e w o rld .” S h e an d o th e r F o ru m m em b ers are fig h tin g to m ain ta in th a t p rivilege. T h ey are w o rk in g h a rd to d efe at E R A , w h ich P ro v a n m ain ta in s w o u ld “ o b lite ra te th e fam ily ” by m ak in g w o m en a n d th eir h u sb a n d s eq u a lly res p o n si ble fo r th e su p p o rt o f th eir fam ilies, th u s fo rc in g th em o u t o f th e h o m e a n d in to th e jo b m ark et. S h e lists a h o st o f o th e r th in g s w h ich she claim s E R A w o u ld m ak e in evitab le: p ro te ctiv e la b o r law s w o u ld be j e o p a r d ized ; w ido w s co u ld lose p referen tia l ta x tre a tm e n t in so m e states; a lim o n y a n d p ro p e rty settlem en ts m ig h t w o rk a g ain s t a w o m an m ak in g m o re m o n ey th a n h e r h u sb a n d ; cu sto d y o f ch ild ren w o u ld n o lo n g er b e th e assu m ed rig h t o f th e m o th e r. N o m a tte r th a t p ro tectiv e la b o r law s were stru c k d o w n in 1964 by title V i t o f th e C ivil R ig h ts A ct, o r th a t th e re is n o a lim o n y in P en n sy lv an ia. B ut P ro v a n ’s biggest w o rry a b o u t E R A , a n d th e fac to r th a t h as b ro u g h t a large n u m b er o f m em b ers to E agle F o ru m , is th e d raft. P ro v a n believes th a t m o th e rs o f sm all ch ild ren w o u ld be d ra fte d an d sent to th e fro n t lines u n d e r E R A . T h a t arg u m e n t h as b een lab eled a scare tactic by fem inists, w h o p o in t o u t th a t th ere is n o d ra ft, a n d th a t even if th ere w ere, E R A w o u ld g u a ra n te e w o m en th e sam e p h y sical, p sy ch o lo g ical, an d fam ily e x em p tio n s as m en. P ro v a n als o insists th e E R A w o u ld fo rce w o m en an d m en to sh are p u b lic b a th ro o m s , even th o u g h th e 1972 S e n ate J u d ic ia ry C o m m itte e R e p o rt o n E R A states specifically th a t se p a ra te rest ro o m s w o u ld be p ro h ib ite d . A n d she w arn s a g ain st o th e r th in g s th a t h av e lit tle o r n o th in g to d o w ith E R A , su ch as th e rig h t o f h o m o se x u als to m arry , teac h , a n d a d o p t ch ild ren . W h e th e r o r n o t th ese fears are g ro u n d ed in th e realm o f p o ssib ility , E agle F o ru m has d o n e w ell w ith th em . It w as am o n g th e s to p -E R A fo rces th a t co n v in ced fo u r state leg islatu res to v o te n o in 1977. T h ree m o re states are n eed ed fo r ra tific atio n b efo re th e M arch 1979 d ead lin e. A lth o u g h F o ru m has failed so fa r in its atte m p ts to reverse P en n sy lv a n ia ’s affirm ativ e v o te, E R A p ro p o n e n ts are w o rried en o u g h n a tio n w ide th a t th ey are lo b b y in g fo r a n e x ten sio n o f th e ra tific atio n p erio d . B ut s to p p in g E R A is n o t P ro v a n ’s o nly co n cern . S he is co m in g o u t stro n g ly
not
a g ain st a b o rtio n , p o rn o g ra p h y , a n d vi olence o n T V , all o f w hich she th in k s are in d ic atio n s o f the d e te rio ra tio n o f A m e r ica’s m o ra l fiber. S h e also w an ts v o lu n ta ry p ra y e r re sto re d to th e sch o o ls, an d th e “ use o f te x tb o o k s th a t h o n o r th e fam ily , m o n o g a m o u s m arriag e, w o m a n ’s ro le as w ife a n d m o th e r, an d m a n ’s ro le as p ro v id e r a n d p ro te c to r.” P ro v a n a n d S ch lafly m et w h en th e la tte r m ad e a p re se n ta tio n to th e A lle g h en y C o u n ty L eagu e o f W o m an V o t ers in th e early ’70s. P ro v a n o rg a n ize d th e N o rth H u n tin g d o n c h a p te r o f E agle F o ru m in 1975, b ecause she a n d h e r m em b ers “h a d g o n e th e fash io n sh o w an d card p a rty ro u te a n d w an ted to d o so m eth in g sig n ifican t to b rin g som e m o rality b ack to A m eric a.” S in ce th en , she h as h elped fo rm several o f th e 10 o th e r g ro u p s in th e P itts b u rg h ar e a , w h o se to ta l m em b ersh ip she p u ts a t 200. (T h e n a tio n a l o rg a n iz a tio n claim s to hav e picked u p 65,000 m e m b ers, a s ca n t 3,000 o r so s h o rt o f N O W ’s n u m b ers, in less th a n a fifth o f the tim e.)
N o w , in ste ad o f p lay in g b rid ge, P ro v an sp e ak s to c h u rc h g ro u p s a n d w o m en ’s clu bs, d e b ates fem in ists o n TV an d ra d io sho w s, d istrib u te s F o ru m literatu re , an d o rg an ize s a n ti- E R A rallies. S he says h er h u s b a n d C h arles, a p h y sician , d o es n ’t m in d h e r activ ities, "a s lo n g as I tak e care o f th e kid s a n d th e h o u se.” A n d she says m o st F o ru m m em b ers are ju s t like h er, “p lain , av erag e w o m en w h o a re in the silent m ajo rity , w h o are alie n ated by lib b ers, an d w h o still w an t th e rig h t to be w ives a n d m o th e rs .” S o m e are y o u n g , single w o m en w h o are a fra id o f being d raf te d ; som e are d iv o rcees w h o fear h av in g to p ay s u p p o rt to th e ir ex -h u sb an d s; m an y w o rk o u tsid e th e ho m e. E agle F o ru m m em b ers w a n t to “leave a b e tte r w o rld for th e ir ch ild ren , n o t one in w h ich th e privileges w o m en p rese n tly h av e w ere ta k en aw ay fro m th eir d a u g h te rs,” P ro v a n says. “ W e a re eq u al u n d er th e sig h t o f G o d , a n d w e d o n ’t n eed the E R A to p ro v e it.”
BarbSlack
BUT WHAT’S THE STORY? “W h en I w as a kid I to o k a w atch a p a r t a n d b u sted it, a n d th a t w as th e first tim e I realized th a t th ere w as a craft to th is s o rt o f th in g .” In d e p e n d e n t film -m ak er R o g e r J a co b y ’s referen ce to his w o rk is to n g u e -
in -ch eek, b u t a p p ro p ria te . W a lk in g in to his S h a d y sid e a p a r tm e n t is like ste p p in g inside a d isc o m b o b u la te d g r a n d fa th e r clo ck. S p o o ls, reels, a n d can s o f film are scatte red a b o u t. A rac k ety 16m m p r o je c to r sta n d s aim ed a t a tin y c a r d b o a rd screen ta p e d to the w all. T h e co rn e rs are c lu tte red w ith lig ht sta n d s, co rd s, film splicers, a n d o th e r u tensils, an d ev ery w h ere — every w h ere — a re ta n g led piles o f u n rav ele d film . J a c o b y is o n e o f th e h alf-d o zen o r so serio u s film a rtis ts in th e P itts b u rg h ar e a , a lth o u g h y o u will n ev er see o n e o f his film s in a d o w n to w n th e a te r. L ik e m o st o f his co lleagu es, he is relativ ely u n in te re sted in co m m ercia l film . “ I’m tire d o f p eo ple g o in g to th e m ov ies to see he says. T o him a n d o th er s like h im , th e p o ssib ilities o f film — a e s th etic, p sy ch o lo g ical, an d tech n ic al — rem ain vast, u n ex p lo red te rrito rie s. A n d J a c o b y , a skilled c a m e ra m a n a n d te c h n ician (he h as been s h o o tin g film seven d ay s a w eek fo r a y ea r) w h o d efin es a r t
stories,"
as “th e rea so n th e Je w s refuse to give G o d a n a m e,” is c o m m itte d to e x p lo ra tio n , ev en th o u g h it m ea n s fo rg o in g p o p u la rity a n d p ay ch eck s. “ B eing an in d ep en d en t film -m ak er is n o t a lu cra tiv e p ro fes sio n ,” says th e 33y ea r-o ld J ac o b y . “ I t’s d ifficult to hav e y o u r film s circu la te a r o u n d the c o u n try to in fo rm o th e r a rtis ts an d arch iv ists w h at y o u ’re u p to , [a n d ] in com e from sho w s a n d ren tals te n d s to be sp arse. I t’s n o t easy. F o rtu n a te ly . I h av e a very u n d e r s ta n d in g la n d lo rd ." H e ru m m a g e s th ro u g h a h e ap o f fo o ta g e . “ Y o u’ve g o t to be o b sessed." he says. “ In s te ad o f b u y in g new clo th es, y o u b u y new film .” T o save m o n ey o n la b fees, R o g e r learn e d to p ro cess his o w n film a b o u t five y e ars ag o o n a je r ry -b u ilt m ach in e he b o u g h t fro m a frien d . T h e results a s to n ished him . V ar io u s ch em icals p ro d u c ed in cred ib le (an d u n p re d ic ta b le ) tr a n s f o r m a tio n s o f co lo r, te x tu re , a n d g ra in o n th e screen. T h e m o re he ex p erim en ted th e m o re ex cited he b ecam e, fo r he w as in ad v erte n tly d i s c o v e r i n g e f f e c ts th a t w ere to b eco m e a sig n ifica n t p a rt o f his style. J a c o b y w as o rig in a lly tra in e d as a p ain ter. O n g ra d u a tin g fro m h igh sch o ol in u p s ta te N ew Y o rk , he m ov ed to M a n h a tta n a n d stay ed fo r a tim e w ith his a u n t, th e a rt d ea le r R o se F ried , in her P a rk A v en u e a p a rtm e n t. T h ere, u n d e r th e P ic asso s a n d C h ag alls th a t h u n g o n th e w alls b etw een 3 0 -fo o t F re n ch w in d o w s, he a b s o rb e d th e c o n v e rs a tio n o f su ch d istin g u ish ed v is ito rs as M arcel D u c h a m p a n d E d w ard A lbee. S h o rtly th e re a fte r, as a s tu d e n t he helped fo u n d th e New Y o rk S tu d io S ch o o l o f D ra w ing, P a in tin g , a n d S c u lp tu re , alo n g w ith M erced es M a tte r, W illem de K o o n in g , S e n a to r J a c o b J av its, an d oth ers. In th e late ’60s h e w as a sp irin g to w ard a fu tu re as a n a b s tra c t e x p re ssio n is t-p a in te r w h en his frien d , th e late p o et
13
an d f ilm - m a k e r W illa rd M a a s, c o n vinced him th a t it w o u ld be eas ier to a c q u ire a r e p u ta tio n as a film -m a k e r th a n as a p ain ter, R o g er sp en t th e n ex t th ree years w o rk in g on an eig h t-m in u te film called (“ F irst film s alw ay s ta k e a long tim e .” ) T h e fo llo w in g y ea r he set tled in P ittsb u rg h — to rec u p er ate from a fra ctu red sku ll, he says — a n d m ad e a n o th e r film , It was sh o t in P h ip p s C o n s e rv a to ry an d starred Sally D ix o n , th en d ire c to r o f C arneg ie In s titu te ’s F ilm S ectio n , as the D ream S p h in x . In 1975, a fte r several m o re film s, he received a $ 10,000 g ra n t fro m th e N a tio n al E n d o w m e n t fo r th e A rts to p ro (“ A rt L ife”), w h ich has duce at last w o n h im so m e d eg ree o f reco g n i tion am o n g th e film c o m m u n ity . T h e film , w ith a ca st th a t in clu d es fo rm er W arh o l s ta r O n d in e is sch ed u le d to be sho w n at th e M u se u m o f M o d e rn A rt in N ew Y o rk th is m o n th (M o n d a y , J a n . 9 a t 6 p.m .). co n sists o f a series o f sep ara te scenes w h ich d eal, p h ysically o r m eta p h o rically , w ith th e fru s tra tio n s o f the artist. T h e film o p en s w ith a k n ig h t (O nd in e) in c ap ac itated by his a r m o r an d at the m ercy o f his sq u ire. It m oves o n to an ex ce rp t fro m a T V o p e ra , to a slightly em b arrasse d m a tro n m o d elin g a n eve n ing go w n , to a b er o b ed re n d itio n o f the d u et "A u F o n d d u T em p le S a in t" from Bizet’s , to a w o m a n ’s flute lesson, a n d so o n , cu lm in a tin g in
Future Song.
Dream Sphinx Opera.
an eld erly w o m an d e sc rib in g h e r a p a r t m en t — a scene J a c o b y p rin te d s ta r tlin g ly in n eg ative co lo r. T h ro u g h o u t th e 5 5 -m in u te film , the cam era is c o n tin u ally circ u latin g in long, relentless p an s, ca rv in g its w ay th ro u g h the ro o m s — so m etim es at flo o r level — “like th e kn ife o f s u b jectiv ity slash in g in to b are tr u th ," says R o g er, “ lo o k in g fo r b ea u tifu l th in g s.” T h e d iso rie n tin g c a m era m ov em en t tak es aw ay th e v iew er's ab ility to a n tic ip ate, an d d e stro y s even the m ost fu n d a m e n ta l cin e m atic e x p ec tatio n s.
Kunst Life
Kunst Life
The Pearl Fishers
14
ries” a re no t d e m an d in g , b u t sim ply b o r ing. B ut, he replies, “ S o m etim es w h a t’s b o rin g is th e view er him self. T h e b o re d o m is in tern al an d h e’s g o t to w o rk it o u t an d co m e up w ith m ean in g ." h as alread y been show n to a n u m b e r o f film g ro u p s in P ittsb u rg h an d v a rio u s o th e r p laces a ro u n d th e co u n try . “ It’s p ec u liar,” J a c o b y says. “T h e au d ien ces d o n ’t seem to like it — th ey’re so m ew h at o u tra g e d by it, in fact — b u t they keep w an tin g to see it I guess th a t m akes it so m eth in g o f a h it." In sp ite o f th e aes th etic success of , R o g er is still far fro m re aliz ing an y kind o f fin an cial success fro m it. n o r d o es he ex p e ct any . H e co n tin u e s to su p p o rt h im self by teac h in g film p ro cessing at P ittsb u rg h F ilm -M ak ers Inc., by c o n d u ctin g w o rk sh o p s w h erev er he can , an d by p lay in g th e p ian o fo r the S u n d a y night silent m ov ie series at C a r negie In stitu te ’s L ectu re H all. N o w he sits tran q u illy am id the c lu t te r o f his a p a rtm e n t, p o n d erin g as rew in ds on the p ro jecto r. S u d d en ly , ab o v e th e w h irr an d clack o f the m a chin e, he ex claim s, in a voice th a t seem s to leap o u t o f him , “ I’ve g o t big p lan s fo r th is place — d o zen s o f ideas — a b o u t everyth in g !" P ressed to e la b o ra te , he says alm o st d ista n tly , “ W ell, fo r o n e, I’d like to create a p e rm a n e n t stu d io th a t m oves . . .” T h e n , ju s t as q u ick ly , he sto p s him self. “ But I d o n ’t w an t to talk a b o u t it,” he says, “ un til I it.”
Kunst Life
Kunst Life
Life
"DreamSphinx Opera" Kunst Lifeis a d ifficu lt film to w atc h , b u t th a t fact d o e s n 't b o t h e r Ja c o b y . “C ertain ly it m ak es d em an d s o n th e a u d ien ce," he says, “ b u t fo r th e v iew er w ho stays w ith it, I th in k he learn s s o m eth in g a b o u t th e n a tu re o f film — in deed a b o u t th e n atu re o f all a r t.” Ja c o b y a d m i ts t h a t m a n y p eo ple th in k m ovies w ith o u t tr a d itio n a l “sto
Kunst
do JaySuszynski
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jo rie P ro v a n , a m id d le-ag ed h o usew ife an d m o th e r o f fo u r fro m Irw in . “ I am as lib e rated as I w a n t to b e,” P ro v a n says. “T h e w o m en in A m e rica are th e m o st p riv ileg ed in the h isto ry o f th e w o rld .” S h e an d o th e r F o ru m m em b ers are fig h tin g to m ain ta in th a t p rivilege. T h ey are w o rk in g h a rd to d efe at E R A , w h ich P ro v a n m ain ta in s w o u ld “ o b lite ra te th e fam ily ” by m ak in g w o m en a n d th eir h u sb a n d s eq u a lly res p o n si ble fo r th e su p p o rt o f th eir fam ilies, th u s fo rc in g th em o u t o f th e h o m e a n d in to th e jo b m ark et. S h e lists a h o st o f o th e r th in g s w h ich she claim s E R A w o u ld m ak e in evitab le: p ro te ctiv e la b o r law s w o u ld be j e o p a r d ized ; w ido w s co u ld lose p referen tia l ta x tre a tm e n t in so m e states; a lim o n y a n d p ro p e rty settlem en ts m ig h t w o rk a g ain s t a w o m an m ak in g m o re m o n ey th a n h e r h u sb a n d ; cu sto d y o f ch ild ren w o u ld n o lo n g er b e th e assu m ed rig h t o f th e m o th e r. N o m a tte r th a t p ro tectiv e la b o r law s were stru c k d o w n in 1964 by title V i t o f th e C ivil R ig h ts A ct, o r th a t th e re is n o a lim o n y in P en n sy lv an ia. B ut P ro v a n ’s biggest w o rry a b o u t E R A , a n d th e fac to r th a t h as b ro u g h t a large n u m b er o f m em b ers to E agle F o ru m , is th e d raft. P ro v a n believes th a t m o th e rs o f sm all ch ild ren w o u ld be d ra fte d an d sent to th e fro n t lines u n d e r E R A . T h a t arg u m e n t h as b een lab eled a scare tactic by fem inists, w h o p o in t o u t th a t th ere is n o d ra ft, a n d th a t even if th ere w ere, E R A w o u ld g u a ra n te e w o m en th e sam e p h y sical, p sy ch o lo g ical, an d fam ily e x em p tio n s as m en. P ro v a n als o insists th e E R A w o u ld fo rce w o m en an d m en to sh are p u b lic b a th ro o m s , even th o u g h th e 1972 S e n ate J u d ic ia ry C o m m itte e R e p o rt o n E R A states specifically th a t se p a ra te rest ro o m s w o u ld be p ro h ib ite d . A n d she w arn s a g ain st o th e r th in g s th a t h av e lit tle o r n o th in g to d o w ith E R A , su ch as th e rig h t o f h o m o se x u als to m arry , teac h , a n d a d o p t ch ild ren . W h e th e r o r n o t th ese fears are g ro u n d ed in th e realm o f p o ssib ility , E agle F o ru m has d o n e w ell w ith th em . It w as am o n g th e s to p -E R A fo rces th a t co n v in ced fo u r state leg islatu res to v o te n o in 1977. T h ree m o re states are n eed ed fo r ra tific atio n b efo re th e M arch 1979 d ead lin e. A lth o u g h F o ru m has failed so fa r in its atte m p ts to reverse P en n sy lv a n ia ’s affirm ativ e v o te, E R A p ro p o n e n ts are w o rried en o u g h n a tio n w ide th a t th ey are lo b b y in g fo r a n e x ten sio n o f th e ra tific atio n p erio d . B ut s to p p in g E R A is n o t P ro v a n ’s o nly co n cern . S he is co m in g o u t stro n g ly
not
a g ain st a b o rtio n , p o rn o g ra p h y , a n d vi olence o n T V , all o f w hich she th in k s are in d ic atio n s o f the d e te rio ra tio n o f A m e r ica’s m o ra l fiber. S h e also w an ts v o lu n ta ry p ra y e r re sto re d to th e sch o o ls, an d th e “ use o f te x tb o o k s th a t h o n o r th e fam ily , m o n o g a m o u s m arriag e, w o m a n ’s ro le as w ife a n d m o th e r, an d m a n ’s ro le as p ro v id e r a n d p ro te c to r.” P ro v a n a n d S ch lafly m et w h en th e la tte r m ad e a p re se n ta tio n to th e A lle g h en y C o u n ty L eagu e o f W o m an V o t ers in th e early ’70s. P ro v a n o rg a n ize d th e N o rth H u n tin g d o n c h a p te r o f E agle F o ru m in 1975, b ecause she a n d h e r m em b ers “h a d g o n e th e fash io n sh o w an d card p a rty ro u te a n d w an ted to d o so m eth in g sig n ifican t to b rin g som e m o rality b ack to A m eric a.” S in ce th en , she h as h elped fo rm several o f th e 10 o th e r g ro u p s in th e P itts b u rg h ar e a , w h o se to ta l m em b ersh ip she p u ts a t 200. (T h e n a tio n a l o rg a n iz a tio n claim s to hav e picked u p 65,000 m e m b ers, a s ca n t 3,000 o r so s h o rt o f N O W ’s n u m b ers, in less th a n a fifth o f the tim e.)
N o w , in ste ad o f p lay in g b rid ge, P ro v an sp e ak s to c h u rc h g ro u p s a n d w o m en ’s clu bs, d e b ates fem in ists o n TV an d ra d io sho w s, d istrib u te s F o ru m literatu re , an d o rg an ize s a n ti- E R A rallies. S he says h er h u s b a n d C h arles, a p h y sician , d o es n ’t m in d h e r activ ities, "a s lo n g as I tak e care o f th e kid s a n d th e h o u se.” A n d she says m o st F o ru m m em b ers are ju s t like h er, “p lain , av erag e w o m en w h o a re in the silent m ajo rity , w h o are alie n ated by lib b ers, an d w h o still w an t th e rig h t to be w ives a n d m o th e rs .” S o m e are y o u n g , single w o m en w h o are a fra id o f being d raf te d ; som e are d iv o rcees w h o fear h av in g to p ay s u p p o rt to th e ir ex -h u sb an d s; m an y w o rk o u tsid e th e ho m e. E agle F o ru m m em b ers w a n t to “leave a b e tte r w o rld for th e ir ch ild ren , n o t one in w h ich th e privileges w o m en p rese n tly h av e w ere ta k en aw ay fro m th eir d a u g h te rs,” P ro v a n says. “ W e a re eq u al u n d er th e sig h t o f G o d , a n d w e d o n ’t n eed the E R A to p ro v e it.”
BarbSlack
BUT WHAT’S THE STORY? “W h en I w as a kid I to o k a w atch a p a r t a n d b u sted it, a n d th a t w as th e first tim e I realized th a t th ere w as a craft to th is s o rt o f th in g .” In d e p e n d e n t film -m ak er R o g e r J a co b y ’s referen ce to his w o rk is to n g u e -
in -ch eek, b u t a p p ro p ria te . W a lk in g in to his S h a d y sid e a p a r tm e n t is like ste p p in g inside a d isc o m b o b u la te d g r a n d fa th e r clo ck. S p o o ls, reels, a n d can s o f film are scatte red a b o u t. A rac k ety 16m m p r o je c to r sta n d s aim ed a t a tin y c a r d b o a rd screen ta p e d to the w all. T h e co rn e rs are c lu tte red w ith lig ht sta n d s, co rd s, film splicers, a n d o th e r u tensils, an d ev ery w h ere — every w h ere — a re ta n g led piles o f u n rav ele d film . J a c o b y is o n e o f th e h alf-d o zen o r so serio u s film a rtis ts in th e P itts b u rg h ar e a , a lth o u g h y o u will n ev er see o n e o f his film s in a d o w n to w n th e a te r. L ik e m o st o f his co lleagu es, he is relativ ely u n in te re sted in co m m ercia l film . “ I’m tire d o f p eo ple g o in g to th e m ov ies to see he says. T o him a n d o th er s like h im , th e p o ssib ilities o f film — a e s th etic, p sy ch o lo g ical, an d tech n ic al — rem ain vast, u n ex p lo red te rrito rie s. A n d J a c o b y , a skilled c a m e ra m a n a n d te c h n ician (he h as been s h o o tin g film seven d ay s a w eek fo r a y ea r) w h o d efin es a r t
stories,"
as “th e rea so n th e Je w s refuse to give G o d a n a m e,” is c o m m itte d to e x p lo ra tio n , ev en th o u g h it m ea n s fo rg o in g p o p u la rity a n d p ay ch eck s. “ B eing an in d ep en d en t film -m ak er is n o t a lu cra tiv e p ro fes sio n ,” says th e 33y ea r-o ld J ac o b y . “ I t’s d ifficult to hav e y o u r film s circu la te a r o u n d the c o u n try to in fo rm o th e r a rtis ts an d arch iv ists w h at y o u ’re u p to , [a n d ] in com e from sho w s a n d ren tals te n d s to be sp arse. I t’s n o t easy. F o rtu n a te ly . I h av e a very u n d e r s ta n d in g la n d lo rd ." H e ru m m a g e s th ro u g h a h e ap o f fo o ta g e . “ Y o u’ve g o t to be o b sessed." he says. “ In s te ad o f b u y in g new clo th es, y o u b u y new film .” T o save m o n ey o n la b fees, R o g e r learn e d to p ro cess his o w n film a b o u t five y e ars ag o o n a je r ry -b u ilt m ach in e he b o u g h t fro m a frien d . T h e results a s to n ished him . V ar io u s ch em icals p ro d u c ed in cred ib le (an d u n p re d ic ta b le ) tr a n s f o r m a tio n s o f co lo r, te x tu re , a n d g ra in o n th e screen. T h e m o re he ex p erim en ted th e m o re ex cited he b ecam e, fo r he w as in ad v erte n tly d i s c o v e r i n g e f f e c ts th a t w ere to b eco m e a sig n ifica n t p a rt o f his style. J a c o b y w as o rig in a lly tra in e d as a p ain ter. O n g ra d u a tin g fro m h igh sch o ol in u p s ta te N ew Y o rk , he m ov ed to M a n h a tta n a n d stay ed fo r a tim e w ith his a u n t, th e a rt d ea le r R o se F ried , in her P a rk A v en u e a p a rtm e n t. T h ere, u n d e r th e P ic asso s a n d C h ag alls th a t h u n g o n th e w alls b etw een 3 0 -fo o t F re n ch w in d o w s, he a b s o rb e d th e c o n v e rs a tio n o f su ch d istin g u ish ed v is ito rs as M arcel D u c h a m p a n d E d w ard A lbee. S h o rtly th e re a fte r, as a s tu d e n t he helped fo u n d th e New Y o rk S tu d io S ch o o l o f D ra w ing, P a in tin g , a n d S c u lp tu re , alo n g w ith M erced es M a tte r, W illem de K o o n in g , S e n a to r J a c o b J av its, an d oth ers. In th e late ’60s h e w as a sp irin g to w ard a fu tu re as a n a b s tra c t e x p re ssio n is t-p a in te r w h en his frien d , th e late p o et
13
an d f ilm - m a k e r W illa rd M a a s, c o n vinced him th a t it w o u ld be eas ier to a c q u ire a r e p u ta tio n as a film -m a k e r th a n as a p ain ter, R o g er sp en t th e n ex t th ree years w o rk in g on an eig h t-m in u te film called (“ F irst film s alw ay s ta k e a long tim e .” ) T h e fo llo w in g y ea r he set tled in P ittsb u rg h — to rec u p er ate from a fra ctu red sku ll, he says — a n d m ad e a n o th e r film , It was sh o t in P h ip p s C o n s e rv a to ry an d starred Sally D ix o n , th en d ire c to r o f C arneg ie In s titu te ’s F ilm S ectio n , as the D ream S p h in x . In 1975, a fte r several m o re film s, he received a $ 10,000 g ra n t fro m th e N a tio n al E n d o w m e n t fo r th e A rts to p ro (“ A rt L ife”), w h ich has duce at last w o n h im so m e d eg ree o f reco g n i tion am o n g th e film c o m m u n ity . T h e film , w ith a ca st th a t in clu d es fo rm er W arh o l s ta r O n d in e is sch ed u le d to be sho w n at th e M u se u m o f M o d e rn A rt in N ew Y o rk th is m o n th (M o n d a y , J a n . 9 a t 6 p.m .). co n sists o f a series o f sep ara te scenes w h ich d eal, p h ysically o r m eta p h o rically , w ith th e fru s tra tio n s o f the artist. T h e film o p en s w ith a k n ig h t (O nd in e) in c ap ac itated by his a r m o r an d at the m ercy o f his sq u ire. It m oves o n to an ex ce rp t fro m a T V o p e ra , to a slightly em b arrasse d m a tro n m o d elin g a n eve n ing go w n , to a b er o b ed re n d itio n o f the d u et "A u F o n d d u T em p le S a in t" from Bizet’s , to a w o m a n ’s flute lesson, a n d so o n , cu lm in a tin g in
Future Song.
Dream Sphinx Opera.
an eld erly w o m an d e sc rib in g h e r a p a r t m en t — a scene J a c o b y p rin te d s ta r tlin g ly in n eg ative co lo r. T h ro u g h o u t th e 5 5 -m in u te film , the cam era is c o n tin u ally circ u latin g in long, relentless p an s, ca rv in g its w ay th ro u g h the ro o m s — so m etim es at flo o r level — “like th e kn ife o f s u b jectiv ity slash in g in to b are tr u th ," says R o g er, “ lo o k in g fo r b ea u tifu l th in g s.” T h e d iso rie n tin g c a m era m ov em en t tak es aw ay th e v iew er's ab ility to a n tic ip ate, an d d e stro y s even the m ost fu n d a m e n ta l cin e m atic e x p ec tatio n s.
Kunst Life
Kunst Life
The Pearl Fishers
14
ries” a re no t d e m an d in g , b u t sim ply b o r ing. B ut, he replies, “ S o m etim es w h a t’s b o rin g is th e view er him self. T h e b o re d o m is in tern al an d h e’s g o t to w o rk it o u t an d co m e up w ith m ean in g ." h as alread y been show n to a n u m b e r o f film g ro u p s in P ittsb u rg h an d v a rio u s o th e r p laces a ro u n d th e co u n try . “ It’s p ec u liar,” J a c o b y says. “T h e au d ien ces d o n ’t seem to like it — th ey’re so m ew h at o u tra g e d by it, in fact — b u t they keep w an tin g to see it I guess th a t m akes it so m eth in g o f a h it." In sp ite o f th e aes th etic success of , R o g er is still far fro m re aliz ing an y kind o f fin an cial success fro m it. n o r d o es he ex p e ct any . H e co n tin u e s to su p p o rt h im self by teac h in g film p ro cessing at P ittsb u rg h F ilm -M ak ers Inc., by c o n d u ctin g w o rk sh o p s w h erev er he can , an d by p lay in g th e p ian o fo r the S u n d a y night silent m ov ie series at C a r negie In stitu te ’s L ectu re H all. N o w he sits tran q u illy am id the c lu t te r o f his a p a rtm e n t, p o n d erin g as rew in ds on the p ro jecto r. S u d d en ly , ab o v e th e w h irr an d clack o f the m a chin e, he ex claim s, in a voice th a t seem s to leap o u t o f him , “ I’ve g o t big p lan s fo r th is place — d o zen s o f ideas — a b o u t everyth in g !" P ressed to e la b o ra te , he says alm o st d ista n tly , “ W ell, fo r o n e, I’d like to create a p e rm a n e n t stu d io th a t m oves . . .” T h e n , ju s t as q u ick ly , he sto p s him self. “ But I d o n ’t w an t to talk a b o u t it,” he says, “ un til I it.”
Kunst Life
Kunst Life
Life
"DreamSphinx Opera" Kunst Lifeis a d ifficu lt film to w atc h , b u t th a t fact d o e s n 't b o t h e r Ja c o b y . “C ertain ly it m ak es d em an d s o n th e a u d ien ce," he says, “ b u t fo r th e v iew er w ho stays w ith it, I th in k he learn s s o m eth in g a b o u t th e n a tu re o f film — in deed a b o u t th e n atu re o f all a r t.” Ja c o b y a d m i ts t h a t m a n y p eo ple th in k m ovies w ith o u t tr a d itio n a l “sto
Kunst
do JaySuszynski
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