Suburbs of Eden: The Films of Cecelia Condit
Cecelia Condit by Mark Escribano
Philosophical Research Society and Los Angeles Filmforum present
Suburbs of Eden: The Films of Cecelia Condit
Wednesday November 20, 2024, 7:00pm
At the Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Angeles
NOTE THE CHANGE IN DAY, TIME, and LOCATION
Tickets: $10 general, free for Filmforum members with code to be sent separately
The first LA retrospective of the works of video artist Cecelia Condit – co-presented by Los Angeles Filmforum and co-hosted by JJ Stratford
The Philosophical Research Society, in collaboration with Los Angeles Filmforum, is very proud to present the first Los Angeles retrospective of the works of one of the most distinctive American video artists of the past four decades – the inimitable Cecelia Condit!
This very special program features seven of Condit’s singular films, including her first five shot-on-video shorts spanning 1981 to 1996, as well as two more recent works, and will be co-hosted by LA based video artist Jennifer Juniper (JJ) Stratford – a huge fan of Condit’s who will join the filmmaker (beaming in via Zoom) in conversation for a post-screening Q&A!
Perhaps best known for her delectably dark and askew 1983 horror musical Possibly in Michigan (which has had a pleasantly surprising viral moment recently), Condit’s videos have – since 1981 – "created heroines whose lives swing between beauty and the grotesque, innocence and cruelty, youth and fragility. Her work puts a subversive spin on the traditional mythology of women in film and the psychology of sexuality and violence. Exploring the dark side of female subjectivity, her “feminist fairy tales” focus on friendships, age, and the natural world.
Artist Statement: “I consider myself a storyteller working within the psychological landscape of contemporary fairy tales, dreams and poetry. I explore archetypal themes where my characters are often shaped by violence, basic cold-heartedness and trauma. The last few years, I find myself leaning towards creating works that consider the frailty of an environmentally vulnerable world and our place in it. This world might be located in a small county park, a home, a rock or deserted housing project.”
JJ Stratford on Cecelia Condit: “Cecelia Condit is a truly unique and incredible video artist. She builds worlds that vacillate between themes of aging and fragility, beauty and the grotesque, innocence and cruelty while keeping the viewer both amused and deeply understood. Her techniques follow a slightly slanted version of shot-on-tape movie-making traditions and are mixed with soundtracks and inner dialogues that completely immerse us in Cecelia’s world. She’s been making work since 1981 and long overdue for a retrospective, yet her work seems more relevant than ever. An event not to be missed!”
Special thanks to the filmmaker, Adam Hyman of Los Angeles Filmforum, Astral Eyez, and Jennifer Juniper Stratford.
Please email events@prs.org or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.
Beneath the Skin
Beneath the Skin
1981, 10:00
Beneath the Skin is a true story about a woman's unknowing involvement in the murder of her boyfriend’s other girlfriend
Possibly in Michigan
Possibly in Michigan
1983, 11:45
Possibly in Michigan is a musical about two women who are stalked by a masked man named Arthur, who follows them home. There the victims become the aggressors.
Music performed by Karen Skladany. The song Animal/Cannibal was written, and performed by Karen Skladany for PiM.
Not A Jealous Bone
Not A Jealous Bone
1987, 10:24
An old woman finds a magic bone that she believes will let her live forever. She shoes looking for her mother, hoping to share it with her,
Music by Stephen Vogel
Suburbs of Eden
Suburbs of Eden
1996, 15:00
Suburbs of Eden is a portrait of a woman who cannot see her way out of a relationship that devastates her.
Music by Stephen Vogel
Oh, Rapunzel
Oh, Rapunzel
With Dick Blau, 1996/2008, 17:00
Set in a decaying estate in Philadelphia, Oh Rapunzel recasts the life of the artist's mother, Annie Lloyd Condit, through the beloved fairy tale.
Music by Stephen Vogel
Pulling Up Roots
Pulling Up Roots
2015, 7:30
Filmed in an abandoned housing project in Western Ireland, a woman confronts the lies that have "taken root" in her. In the end, she moves through the ruin of her life into an unknown landscape that holds the possibility of laughter and happiness.
Music by Renato Umali
AI and I
AI and I
2021, 7 minutes
Forming a relationship with her AI device, Alexa, a woman ponders the nature of consciousness, as she walks through the woods, dragging electrical cords behind her like breadcrumbs.
Music by Kirsten Stuck