4/1, On J. Benning: Know the Problem

All art, narrative or not, sculpture or film, confronts a problem. Hollywood movies begin a film with an event which will cause the protagonist to make choices that work to overcome the problem presented. A portrait, before the photograph, preserved the image of a family patriarch for future generations. There are, of course, many different ways to solve each problem. French minimalist movies let the protagonists solve a problem while quietly contemplating each choice in a tight close up on her anguished face. Cubists and other Modern-era painters used abstract imagery to represent people, rather than physical similarities.

James Benning's lecture on 4/1 used mathematics as a metaphor for the problems faced by artists in creating a marriage between simplicity and elegances. Most artistic conventions, especially in American narrative film, are built around elements of functionality and clarity. In math, as Benning illustrated, all number sets and functions are built around a need for counting and accuracy. Sheep need to be counted, the circumference of a circle needs to be measured. A mathematical proof can very often be long, confusing, incomprehensible to the layman. However, Benning offered simple, surprising proofs and explanations for some (for a filmmaking major) complicated math concepts.

In Casting a Glance Benning created an impressive and timely document of Spiral Jetty through images that follow nearly every composition guideline for the duration. But the film understands, like good mathematicians and artists, that guidelines, rules, and conventions are open to interpretation and negotiation. Every sound in the film was recorded on sight by Benning, except for two: a recorded interview of the Jetty's artist, Robert Smithson, and a cover of "Love Hurts" by Gram Parsons and Emmy Lou Harris. The voice of Smithson is laid over images of the Jetty being explored by three or four people. The song replaced replaced any diegetic sounds, but was edited to have varied levels of volume and quality, like the lake recordings.

The film was structured to portray the Jetty over the course of nearly 40 years. However, Benning only shot between 2005 and 2007. He used historical records and current information on water levels and weather to cut the film so that each segment of the film represented a period in the history of the Jetty. Benning's problem: not having the time to shoot for 40 years or the technology to time travel. Bennings solution: use math, history, and cinematic technique to recreate for the viewer the past of an art work few will see in person.

Fully understanding the problem, Benning, took simple and elegant approaches to finish a fine piece of visual, time-based art. His lecture challenged us to both fully understand the conventions we use and the problem we are attempting to solve.