After a 24 hour layover at Heathrow Airport and an opportunity to get reacquainted with Prague (I last visited in 1997) I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on our journey and dialogues thus far. From the studio of the Brothers Quay to the streets of Stare Mesto in Prague, the dominant issue of space continually surfaces. Space in regards to the internal and external, the familiar and foreign, cultural and universal. One of the most striking elements of our time spent with Stephen and Timothy Quay was their studio and the environment in which their meticulous films have been generated. The majority of their work is constructed in the humble and personal space seen below:


In our conversations the issue of tactile and intimate settings within their work arouse. Since they work in miniatures, they are able to truly investigate surface, lighting, and texture. Their creative space, constructions, and equipment reflect a use of film as an expressive and almost physical medium. There are no flashy effects or grandiose facilities. In speaking with Timothy we discussed how the limitations of a particular medium actually allow you to explore that medium to it’s fullest potential. Since their work is generated in miniature, they have complete control over lighting and the portrayal of their scenes without demanding a film location or studio lot. Financially this may work to their advantage, but more importantly they discussed their preference in working out of a personal space in which they begin know their creations as characters. When I pondered about their feature films that include live action sequences such as Institute Benjamenta (or This Dream People Call Human Life) and The Piano Tuner Of Earthquakes they emphasized the significance of community and the individuals chosen to work with them. This issue was also relevant in our dialogue with Jan Svankmajer’s producer, Jaromir Kallista and his wife Pavla Kallistova who were generous enough to pick us up from the Prague airport. Pavla mentioned the beginning of a new production and how chaotic things have been of late given their small, yet familiar production team. After which Julian quickly observed Jaromir as a character in Svankmajer’s short "Food". The fact that he is both producer and actor in Svankmajer’s work may be a result of low budgets but it is also a tribute to artists collaborating with trusted peers that have a vested creative energy behind their vision.

Finally, as I walk the streets of Prague I find myself constantly immersed in the Situationists’ concept of psychogeography, Yves Berger’s dialogue on drawing and space entitled Lobster and Three Fishes, and Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities.

More comments to come in time.


Will

Old Town Square

The Powder Tower

Hybernska street scene