Carte blanche to Jean-Jacques Lebel
Jean-Jacques Lebel, a visual and performance artist and a maven of images and ideas, has been witness to several epochs. He was closely associated with Marcel Duchamp and Surrealism (of which he was a member from 1955 to 1960) and formed strong friendships with Allan Kaprow, Erró, Carolee Schneemann, Yoko Ono, Daniel Pommereulle, Nam June Paik, François Dufrêne and Bernard Heidsieck, among others. As one of the pioneers of the happening movement in Europe, he has produced over seventy happenings and actions, in addition to his artistic, poetic and political activities, such as the nomadic and experimental Festival International Polyphonix which he founded in 1978.
Among other notable feats, in July 1967 he staged Pablo Picasso's Jarry-esque play DESIRE CAUGHT BY THE TAIL (1941). The same year, he directed SUNLOVE, a wild 32-minute-long film which we will project in 16mm on the occassion of this exceptional evening, in the artist's presence. Lebel has also selected from Light Cone's collection four other films from the 1960s, including works by his close friends Yoko Ono, Carolee Schneemann and Étienne O'Leary, all of which are closely tied to his artistic and political work.
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SUNLOVE by Jean-Jacques LEBEL
1967 / 16mm / coul-n&b / sonore / 32' 00
VIET-FLAKES by Carolee SCHNEEMANN
1965 / 16mm / n&b / sonore / 9' 00
FOUR (Fluxus Film) by Yoko ONO
1966 / 16mm / n&b / silencieux / 4' 30
PAT'S BIRTHDAY by Robert BREER
1962 / 16mm / n&b / sonore / 13' 00
CHROMO SUD by Etienne O'LEARY
1968 / 16mm / couleur / sonore / 21' 00
Further information : https://lightcone.org/en/news-873-jean-jacques-lebel-une-vie-d-images