Brian De Palma shot this twenty-minute short about an optical art exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in 1965. Artists such as David Hockney, Jeffrey Steele, Mon Levinson, Al Lesley, Josef Albers, Larry Rivers and Marisol appear, as well as architect Philip Johnson, curator William Seitz and actress Pamela Tiffin, who mostly acted in Italy in films including The Fifth Cord and Kill Me, My Love!
It’s interesting to think about whether De Palma liked his subject or not, because you can almost see that he’s making fun of the critics and the art scene of the time. Or is he just an impartial observer and that’s how they all really are?
So much of De Palma’s films play with optical illusion, so there’s also the intrigue of seeing him film this art and wonder how it would show up later in his more celebrated movies.
You can watch this on YouTube.
