Associate Professor
Film Studies, University of Colorado, Boulder
Title of talk: The Sounds of Science Cinema
Wednesday, November 9, 12:00-1:00, in ATLAS 311
Jeanne Liotta will take us on a subjective exploration of the sonic history of the cosmic in film, with clips and sounds ranging from LeoTheremin to Dr. Who, from Indian ragas to industrial drones, and culminating in the sonification of data by NASA and contemporary composers. All background for an exegesis of the soundscape for her 16mm film of the night skies Observando El Cielo (2007), which relies heavily on VLF recordings, and was made in collaboration with artist and filmmaker Peggy Ahwesh who is also known for her sound work in the band Radio Guitar.
Jeanne Liotta was born and raised in NYC where she makes films and other cultural ephemera – including her 'one-cut' newspaper collages, moving image installations and live projection performances. Her largest body of work takes place at a curious intersection of art, science, and natural philosophy. “Observando El Cielo” her 16mm film of the night skies was voted one of the top films of the decade by The Film Society of Lincoln Center, was Artforum's Best Film of the Year, was awarded the Tiger Award for Short Film at Rotterdam International Film Festival, Best International Screen at Images Festival, and Most Beautiful Sound Design award at the Ann Arbor Film Festival. Her work has been seen widely and variously at festivals, museums, galleries, clubs, and science centers, i.e., The Whitney Biennial, The New York Film Festival, The Wexner Center for the Arts, The Exploratorium, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Centre de Georges Pomipidou, CCCB Spain, MCA Denver, The Menil Collection, and Microscope Gallery in Brooklyn, among many others. Her work is collected by The Museum of Modern Art, The Austrian Film Museum, and Harvard University. She is an Associate Professor in Film Studies at CU Boulder and is also Co-Chair of Film/Video at the Bard MFA Program.