Ken Jacobs (born May 25, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American experimental filmmaker. His style often involves the use of found footage which he edits and manipulates. He has also directed films using his own footage. Ken Jacobs directed ''

Blonde Cobra ''Blonde Cobra'' is a 1963 short film directed by experimental filmmaker Ken Jacobs. Footage for the unique and at the time controversial film was shot by Bob Flieshner. Marc Siegel states that the 33-minute film is "generally considered to be one ...

'' in 1963. This short film stars Jack Smith who directed his own '' Flaming Creatures'' the same year. In 1969 he directed '' Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son'' (1969, USA), in which he took the original 1905 short film and manipulated the footage to recontextualize it. This is considered an important first example of deconstruction in film. The film was admitted to the National Film Registry in 2007. His ''

Star Spangled to Death ''Star Spangled to Death'' is a 2004 experimental film directed by Ken Jacobs, consisting almost entirely of archive footage, depicting Jacobs' view of the United States in film. Jacobs began compiling material in the late 1950s, and premiered the ...

'' (2004, USA) is a nearly seven-hour film consisting largely of found footage. Jacobs began compiling the archival footage in the 1950s and the film took years to complete. Jacobs taught at the Cinema Department at Harpur College at

Binghamton University The State University of New York at Binghamton (Binghamton University or SUNY Binghamton) is a public research university with campuses in Binghamton, Vestal, and Johnson City, New York. It is one of the four university centers in the State ...

from 1969 to 2002. His son Azazel Jacobs is also a filmmaker. In the 1990s, Jacobs began working with

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jazz ...

and experimented with a stroboscopic effect, digital video, and 3D effects.

Selected filmography

* ''Little Stabs at Happiness'' (1960), 14:57 min, color, sound, 16 mm film on video. * ''

'' (1963), 33 min, color and b&w, sound, 16 mm film on video. * ''Window'' (1964) * ''Lisa and Joey in Connecticut'' (1965), 21:59 min, color, silent, Super 8mm film on video. * '' Tom, Tom, The Piper's Son'' (1969), 133 min, color and b&w. * ''Perfect Film'' (1986) * ''Opening the Nineteenth Century: 1896'' (1991) * ''The Georgetown Loop'' (1996), 11 min, b&w, silent. * ''Circling Zero: We See Absence'' (2002), 114:38 min, color, sound. * ''

'' (2004), 440 min, b&w and color, sound, DVD. Clip collection began in 1956. * ''Nymph'' (2007), 2 min, color, silent. * ''Gift of Fire: Nineteen (Obscure) Frames that Changed the World'' (2007), 27:30 min, anaglyph 3-D color, surround sound. * ''The Scenic Route'' (2008), 25 min, color and b&w, sound. * ''Seeking the Monkey King'' (2011), 39:42 min, color, 5.1 surround sound, HD video. * ''Joys of Waiting for the Broadway Bus'' (2013), 4–part series, enhanced

3D film 3D films are motion pictures made to give an illusion of Three-dimensional space, three-dimensional solidity, usually with the help of Stereoscopy#3D viewers, special glasses worn by viewers. They have existed in some form since 1915, but had been ...

digital slides. * ''A Primer in Sky Socialism'' (2013), color 3D film.

Awards and accolades

He is a recipient of the 1994

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Lead ...

's Maya Deren Award. In 2012 he received a

Creative Capital Creative Capital is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in New York City that supports artists across the United States through funding, counsel, gatherings, and career development services. Since its founding in 1999, Creative Capital has commi ...

Moving Image grant award.

References

External links

Ken Jacobs' official website
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobs, Ken 1933 births American experimental filmmakers Film directors from New York (state) Living people Collage filmmakers Binghamton University faculty