Friday, July 26, 2024

Who Has Seen The Wind?





Adjusting for inflation, Gone with the Wind (1939) is the top grossing of all time. The Wizard of Oz - released the same year, and also directed by Victor Fleming - opens with the sound of wind. Oz fan David Lynch will often instruct his actors "More wind," when he wants them to imbue mystery and intrigue into a scene.

Wind is useful in an establishing shot of a film, so the audience does not misconstrue it as a still photograph. Swaying trees or tumbling tumbleweeds remind us we are watching a “moving picture”. Similarly, puppeteers leave the mouths of their puppets agape when they are in the background and not speaking, otherwise they may appear as inanimate objects. A close-up of a digital clock always catches the minute changing, and is often accompanied by a beep that would drive anyone crazy who had to listen to the sound 1440 times a day. 

Tonight in Pittsburgh, Lenka Clayton and Phillip Andrew Lewis open a new show titled On Air. At the centre of his exhibition at 820 Gallery is The Wind, a new film work that compiles over a thousand clips from cinema featuring wind. They were diligently working on the piece last month when they hosted us,  and I have every confidence it’s going to be excellent. 

The opening runs tonight from 5:30 to 9pm at 820 Liberty Avenue. The exhibition continues until December 15th, Wednesday–Sunday 11am–5pm and free to the public. 




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