Underground Film Journal

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Microscope Gallery: Exploring Color: Works by Deborah S. Phillips

By Mike Everleth ⋅ May 14, 2015

Microscope Gallery

May 18
7:30 p.m.
Microscope Gallery
1329 Willoughby Avenue, 2B
Brooklyn, NY 11237

Hosted by: Microscope Gallery

Berlin-based analog artist Deborah S. Phillips will be in attendance of this screening of three of her 16mm film performances: Capsicum, Chin-Chin and the premiere of her latest piece, T’chelet. A Q&A with Phillips will follow the screening.

The Microscope Gallery describes the films: “The three works in the program descend deeply into the essence of the primary colors of red and blue, including chemical, culinary, linguistic and musical.”

Phillips has been making films since 1988, and also works in other analog media, such as 35mm slide collages and handmade books.

Full descriptions of the films are below:

CAPSICUM
16mm film, color, sound, 2008, 11 minutes
“My colour research began by delving into red, which is often called the colour of colours. A reddish cow, borsht and chillies also play an important role here. With sound compositions by Wolfgang in der Wiesche and Ruth Wiesenfeld.” – DSP

Interlude: a selection of red 35mm slide collages

T’CHELET
Performance for 16mm film and 2 slide projectors, live sound, 2015, 30 – 45 minutes (premiere)
made in collaboration with Ann Forstater
“Blue is inherently vague. Blue is associated with very different ideas in different cultures.
By improvising with sounds and texts, all in attendance are invited to venture into the blue…” – DSP

CHIN-CHIN
16mm film, live sound, 2013-14, 3 minutes
A nearly completely black film to which the clinking of glasses in the space while the film is projected forms the soundtrack.

Image from T’chelet, courtesy of Microscope Gallery:

Abstract image featuring the color blue