Dream Dance: The Art of Ed Emshwiller is the first major monographic exhibition of the artist's groundbreaking work in film, video, and visual art. With an immensely diverse body of creative work, Ed Emshwiller (1925-90) is perhaps one of the most significant yet under-recognized artists of the latter half of the 20th century. Emshwiller's career spanned abstract expressionist painting, commercial illustration, film, video and computer art, and collaborations with dancers, choreographers, and composers. Dream Dance includes the preservation of two of Emshwiller's earliest films, Dance Chromatic (1959) and Lifelines (1960), which will be screened at Lightbox along with 19 of his other films—some of which have never been publicly presented in Philadelphia—as well as notable films by other filmmakers for which he served as cinematographer. A concurrent exhibition at the Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery highlights Emshwiller's visual and fine art background, including video works, early paintings, notes, sketches, ephemera, and many early science fiction cover paintings. Dream Dance is a full scale investigation of the artist's legacy, presenting his multidisciplinary oeuvre to a new generation of audiences.
Dream Dance: The Art of Ed Emshwiller is curated by Jesse Pires, Chief Curator
Film Schedule
October 19, 2019, 18h (Free)
Program 1
- Dance Chromatic (1959), 7 min.
- Transformation (1959), 5 min.
- Life Lines (1960), 7 min.
- Thanatopsis (1962), 6 min.
- Carol (1970), 5 min.
This screening will include a conversation between Lightbox Chief Curator Jesse Pires, Peter “Stoney” Emshwiller, and Susan Emshwiller, followed by a post-screening opening reception.
October 19, 2019, 20h
Program 2
- George Dumpson’s Place (1964), 8 min.
- Image, Flesh and Voice (1969), 77 min.
Introduced by Herb Shellenberger
October 24, 2019, 19h (Free)
Program 3
- The Quiet Takeover (1963), 60 min.
- The Streets of Greenwood (1963), 20 min.
- Freedom March (1963), 9 min.
October 25, 2019, 19h
Program 4
- The Existentialist (1964), 8 min.
- Hallelujah the Hills (1963), 80 min.
November 1, 2019, 19h
Program 5
- Relativity (1966), 38 min.
- Project Apollo (1968), 30 min.
Followed by a conversation between Samuel Delaney and Ed Halter
November 14, 2019, 19h
Program 6
- Film Magazine of the Arts (1963), 20 min.
- Scrambles (1963), 15 min.
- Time of the Heathen (1961), 75 min.
November 15, 2019, 19h
Program 7
- Woe Oh Ho No (1972), 13 min.
- Identities (1973), 10 min.
- Report (1970), 60 min.
November 16, 2019, 17h
Program 8
- Scape-mates (1972), 28 min.
- Pilobolus and Joan (1973), 58 min.
November 16, 2019, 20h
Program 9
- Branches (1970), 102 min.
November 21, 2019, 19h
Program 10
- Chrysalis (1973), 22 min.
- Film with Three Dancers (1970), 20 min.
- Fusion (1967), 16 min.
- Totem (1963), 16 min.
Introduced by Terry Fox
December 4, 2019, 19h
Program 11
- Choice Chance Woman Dance (1971), 44 min.
- Family Focus (1975), 58 min.
December 5, 2019, 19h (Free)
Program 12
- Hungers (1988), 29 min.
This screening will include a conversation with Joan LaBarbara and Morton Subotnick, followed by a post-screening closing reception.