Chicago Filmmakers presents a compilation of 16mm and 8mm short films by Stuart Sherman, a multitalented artist who emerged on the New York scene in the mid-70s. He wrote plays and essays, did public performance art, and made more than 40 imaginative, singular short films and videos, most of which are featured during this retrospective, two programs of which will be repeated at SAIC’s Hokin Hall. In these works, Sherman translates his trademark “spectacle” showcases—experimental “dramas” he performed alongside inanimate objects—into a cinematic medium, demonstrating his unique perception of film grammar. In films like Baseball/TV (1979) and Rock/String (1980), he uses montage and avant-garde framing techniques to simply but effectively manipulate our perception of everyday objects, creating a whimsical and occasionally disorienting sensation. Along with “Stewart Sherman Films and Video,” a screening of Sherman’s shorts that will be introduced by British artist Robert Deacon (Sat 11/14, 8 PM), Chicago Filmmakers will also show the Sherman episode of the Manhattan public-access TV show Your Program of Programs, introduced by its former host, playwright Kestutis Nakas (Sat 11/7, 8 PM). The series concludes with a free screening of Spectacle: A Portrait of Stuart Sherman, a film by the British artist Robin Deacon, at the MCA (Tue 11/24, 6 PM)
Sat 11/7, 11/14, and 11/24, Chicago Filmmakers, 5243 N. Clark, 773-293-1447, chicagofilmmakers.org, $8.