Lapis

(James Whitney, 1966, 9 min)

Historic Film, Short Film

One of James Whitney’s several cinematic masterworks, Lapis develops a series of impossibly dense mandala patterns in increasing intensity, set to a Ravi Shankar track.  Whitney spent several years developing the imagery for the film, using his brother John’s homemade and hand-me-down motion control camera rig to realize it.  Although James never aligned his creative interests with contemporary psychedelia, his work nevertheless sought to create an audio-visual catalyst for a deep and spiritual contemplation that was not too far removed. -Mark Toscano

Print courtesy of the Estate of John and James Whitney and the Academy Film Archive.

LAPIS, James Whitney, 1966
© Estate of John and James Whitney, all rights reserved

16mm

Directed by James Whitney

Showing:

Wednesday, March 20 6:59pm

Psychedelic Visions And Expanded Consciousness Los Angeles in the ‘60s and ‘70s

Hyperkinetic experimental film and animation in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s both echoed and informed the volcanic psychedelia that defined this era. Presented by Adam Hyman, Executive Director of

Michigan Theater (Screening Room)