GME Distributes Martina Kudláček's NOTES ON MARIE MENKEN in Conjunction with Menken Exhibit at the Noguchi Museum

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“Visual Variations on Noguchi liberated a lot of independent filmmakers from the idea that had been so powerful up to then, that we have to imitate the Hollywood dolly shot… Marie’s free, swinging, swooping handheld pans changed all that, for me and for the whole independent filmmaking world.” —Stan Brakhage

“Sculptures move because we move.” —Isamu Noguchi

From September 27th, 2023, to February 4th, 2024, the Noguchi Museum — which is dedicated to the work of world-famous sculptor Isamu Noguchi — mounted A Glorious Bewilderment: Marie Menken’s ‘Visual Variations on Noguchi’, curated by Kate Wiener. This exhibit paired Marie Menken’s first film, 1945’s VISUAL VARIATIONS ON NOGUCHI (in which Menken captures Noguchi’s sculptures “in motion” via frenetic manipulation of a 16mm Bolex camera) with a selection of related sculptures by Noguchi.

According to the Museum, the exhibition aimed to explore “the interplay and affinities between [Menken’s and Noguchi’s] practices and celebrate Menken’s invitation to bring the full force of our moving bodies to Noguchi’s work.” GME President Jon Gartenberg and GME Fine Arts Curator David Deitch attended the exhibit earlier this month, which showed Menken’s film in its original 16mm format, accompanied by a score that composer Lucia Dlugoszewski created for it in 1953. (Dlugoszewski was a friend and collaborator of both Noguchi’s and Menken’s).

GME distributes Martina Kudláček’s 2006 documentary NOTES ON MARIE MENKEN to the North American university market as a DVD and DVD/DSL bundle. This fascinating filmic diary chronicles Menken’s life and career, and follows the reminiscences of her friends and colleagues — among them famed poet and visual artist Gerard Malanga and New American Cinema pioneer Jonas Mekas. Included on GME’s release is VISUAL VARIATIONS ON NOGUCHI, in addition to some of Menken’s later films: 1957’s vernal wonder GLIMPSE OF THE GARDEN, 1961’s colorful and hypnotic ARABESQUE FOR KENNETH ANGER, and 1966’s Yuletide dazzler LIGHTS.

FROM THE EXHIBIT A GLORIOUS BEWILDERMENT: MARIE MENKEN”S ‘VISUAL VARIATIONS ON NOGUCHI’ AT THE NOGUCHI MUSEUM, FEBRUARY 2024. SOURCE: JON GARTENBERG AND DAVID DEITCH.

Martina Kudláček has developed a unique cinematic legacy by creating discursive, biographical documentaries on experimental cinema personalities. Prior to NOTES ON MARIE MENKEN, she created films about avant-garde icons Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid, and in 2012 she released an epic, 232 minute-long documentary about filmmaker Peter Kubelka, titled FRAGMENTS OF KUBELKA. This title is also available for institutional acquisition from GME as both a DVD and DVD/DSL bundle.

For more information about how to order Kudláček films on DSL and/or DVD from GME, please visit our ordering info page.