ART DECADES (Issue 1) is Now Available to Order

 

OUR FIRST ISSUE IS NOW AVAILABLE OVER AT CREATESPACE. IT WILL BE AVAILABLE AT AMAZON BY THE WEEKEND.  

Celia Rowlson-Hall to Appear on the Cover of ART DECADES (Issue 1)

When I decided this past October that I finally wanted to launch my first publication one thing I knew for sure was that I wanted the cover to be something incredibly special.  Even before I came up with a name for the publication, ART DECADES, I knew that my first and only choice for our first cover star was a young filmmaker whose work has meant oh so much to me the past couple of years.  So, I am incredibly excited to announce that the genius New York based actor, choreographer, director and writer Celia Rowlson-Hall will be appearing on the cover of Issue 1 of ART DECADES in a photo taken specifically for the publication.  I will be writing a long piece on Celia's remarkable work and I am beyond honored and thrilled that she agreed to appear on the cover.  I cannot possibly began to express my eternal gratitude. 
More information on ART DECADES is coming soon including a look at some of the contributors and more.  Also keep a lookout for our IndieGoGo Crowdfunding campaign which will be starting in the next week or so. 

Celia Rowlson-Hall's MA at Kickstarter

Since starting Moon in the Gutter a whopping seven years ago this month I have had the great fortune to come into contact with many great young filmmakers, a number of whom I have featured here. While they have all inspired me in many ways, none have had quite the effect on me as Celia Rowlson-Hall. In the past couple of years Celia's brilliant and visionary short films have consistently thrilled, challenged and moved me beyond words. Her work is both breathtaking and transcendent and stands as a reminder of why I fell in love with film in the first place. Celia recently started a Kickstarter campaign to fund her first feature, a silent work entitled MA. Please take a moment and pledge anything you can and share the video below on your own pages. Imagine if you could go back in time and help fund works like Fernand Léger's Ballet Mécanique or Maya Deren's Meshes of the Afternoon. We are being given the very unique opportunity of helping fund a major work by a truly unique young voice in cinema and I really hope all reading will join me in doing so.


 

Magic in Movement: Celia Rowlson-Hall's A Study in Color (2011)

While her masterpiece so far is undoubtedly the mesmerizing Prom Night (2012) all of the short works of New York based filmmaker Celia Rowlson-Hall are deserving of serious recognition and study. Among my personal favorites is the dazzling A Study in Color, a three-minute film made last year for Brooklyn's Keller clothing and shoe company.





A Study in Color was one of the first films from Rowlson-Hall I saw after I was introduced to her work via the haunting Prom Night. Directed by, and starring, Rowlson-Hall, the dialogue free A Study in Color is a wonderful example of absolute pure-cinema...a work of striking visual impact that is a model of both economy and vision.






A bold short-film powered by some of the most exquisite speed-manipulation I have ever seen, A Study in Color finds Rowlson-Hall questioning the notions of time and space in film, within a work that could have just been a simple advertisement for shoes. Along with her director of photography Ian Bloom and composer Jonathan Melville Pratt, Rowlson-Hall created a work that feels especially close in spirit to several early cinema pioneers (her willingness to play with the speed of the film recalls The Lumière Brothers, while her jaw-dropping imaginative visual style is more in line with Méliès). Everytime I watch Celia's films, I am always struck by by the idea of what those early mavericks would have done if they would have had access to today's technology.




What I love most about Celia Rowlson-Hall and her films is the joy of creation found in each. These are some of the most original and distinctive works I have come across in some time and Rowlson-Hall's love for film and movement shines through in each. To say that Celia Rowlson-Hall is a young filmmaker to watch is an understatement. She is, simply put, one of the most brilliant and daring young American directors in recent memory and the news of a possible upcoming feature-length work is extremely exciting.




A Study in Color is an especially jubilant and joyous celebration of the power of film as a visual medium and Celia's smile that closes it says more than any dialogue could hope to.



My chat with Celia can be read here and the majority of her work can be found at her Vimeo page (follow her at Tumblr as well). Ideal starting points are both Prom Night and A Study in Color as well as One Sunday, Pinata and Mariah's Lollipop, her recent collaboration with Lexy Hulme but all of her short films are extremely valuable.

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A Moon in the Gutter Q&A with Celia Rowlson-Hall

Today I am absolutely delighted to present this new Q&A with Celia Rowlson-Hall, a filmmaker whose startling work I just recently discovered. I have become completely enchanted by Celia's work and am thrilled that she agreed to stop by and discuss her career. After reading the Q&A, please stop by Celia's Tumblr, Vimeo and official page for more information on her career and to watch more of her incredible films.


-Celia Rowlson-Hall in her mind-bending PROM NIGHT-

Hi Celia, first of all thank you so much for agreeing to participate in this Q&A. I just recently discovered your work and I must say that your short-films are some of the most exquisite and haunting pieces I have seen in some time, so it’s a thrill to have you stop by here.
To start off, can you tell us where you are from originally and what sparked your initial interest in the arts?

I'm from a very small town called Urbanna, Virginia. My parents definitely caused that spark. They put me into ballet, piano and art classes at a very young age and immediately I was drawn to dance.

Who were some of your early influences were growing up?

The poet Shel Silverstein, I wanted to be him. I signed my papers at school Celia Silverstein.
My babysitter, Christine Williams, was (and still is) simply the most loving person ever.

Before we talk about your films can you tell us a bit about your life as a choreographer and a dancer?

I went to college, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, for modern dance and choreography. After graduation I moved to New York and danced with two incredible choreographers- Monica Bill Barnes and Faye Driscoll. During that time I also choreographed my own work and presented it in various theaters and venues. I then began choreographing for film and music video, which opened me up to that world.

I know you won the prestigious Bessie Award in 2010. Can you talk a bit about that and what you were specifically awarded for?

Yes, I was a performer in a show called 837 Venice Blvd which was directed/choreographed by Faye Driscoll. All collaborators in the show, from the performers to the set designer, were awarded Bessie's for their contribution to the work. So I was awarded for my performance. I did a lot of singing, kicking, crying, punching, screaming and dancing in that piece so it felt really nice to be acknowledged!

One thing that really impresses me about your films, specifically Prom Night, is the remarkable way you incorporate your work as a choreographer, dancer and model into them. How important is your background in dance to your work as a filmmaker?


-Celia in her dazzling A STUDY IN COLOR-

It's essential. You don't see me speaking in my films for a reason! I best know how to communicate with my body and movement- so yes, it's very important! I also feel that the more I put "me" into my work, the clearer I can be with my story and intention.

Speaking of choreography and film, I loved the work you did with one of my favorite modern-bands Sleigh Bells. How did that come about and how were they to work with?

Sleigh Bells "Infinity Guitars" from Phil Pinto on Vimeo.

The casting director for that video, Zan Ludlum, is a friend of mine and got me that job. Since I was choreographing on the models, I didn't work with the band. I also enjoyed working with the director, Phil Pinto, he's very fun and laid back.

Moving to your work in front of and behind the camera, tell us about your early filmmaking ventures and perhaps mention a few favorites.


A still from Celia's mesmerizing PINATA-

Goodness, I feel like I am still in my early filmmaking ventures. I'm not working on any different "level" (budgets, collaborators etc.) than I was a few years ago when I started, so I feel like I'm still in the first phase.
Although it's easier to be out of the work for me to properly direct it, I must say I love being in the work- it's an additional challenge I really enjoy.

Are there any particular filmmakers that influence your work behind the camera? Also I sense a real love for both fashion and music in your films and I was hoping you might discuss that a bit as well.

When I got into filmmaking I didn't know a thing- but the past couple years I've been voraciously watching movies. I really love the work of Andrea Arnold, Roy Andersson, Lynne Ramsay, and Giorgos Lanthimos.
They influence me by reminding me to push myself to BE SPECIFIC, and keep going past your comfort zone- get deeper, get uglier, get weirder, get dangerous.

Okay, onto the amazing Prom Night. I was recently introduced to this startling film by a friend at Facebook and I have to give you big congratulations on it. Outside of how technically great it is, there is something about it that is both extremely moving and quite unsettling. How did the film come about and can you discuss some of the aspects that went into making it?

I have always wanted to be someone other than me and thought it was time to explore that. Somehow exploring it in the context of prom seemed right to me so I developed the dance solo first and then figured out the women I wanted to be and then worked with my amazing collaborators- Jae Song and Lindsey Hornyak. We spent many hours rehearsing, questioning, costuming, set dressing.

One of the major things that I loved about Prom Night is how open-ended it is as far as interpretations go. There was a comment over at Vimeo that echoed my thoughts on it in that it was a Ghost-story focusing on a young girl who plays out these particular prom-night fantasies on an endless loop for all eternity. I also had the thought that it could just be commenting on the different roles and stereotypes women are often forced to play…of course, both interpretations could be wrong, which is something I really appreciated about the film! Are there any thoughts on the meaning of the film you would like to share or are you happy with the ambiguity?

I'm really happy with the ambiguity and rather not say. It's very clear in my mind what I am communicating but it's neat to see all the interpretations!

You are clearly a very gifted young artist. Can we perhaps look for a feature-length project at some point in the future and what are some of your upcoming career plans in general?

Thank you so much, I really appreciate your words and interest in the work. That means a lot to me.
Yes you can expect a feature length from me soon. There's that tricky thing called "funding" to deal with first. Ha! But I'll figure out a way.


-Celia in her lovely ONE SUNDAY-

Thanks so much Celia for this! I hope it leads some more folks to your work and I can’t wait to see more of it. I wish you the best for 2012 and thanks again!

Thank you Jeremy!

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Her Ghost: Celia Rowlson-Hall's Prom Night (2010)

I wanted to take a moment and give an enthusiastic endorsement to a startling short-film I was recently introduced to, by a friend over at Facebook, entitled Prom Night. Directed by and starring a young actress, choreographer and filmmaker named Celia Rowlson-Hall, Prom Night is one of the most hypnotic and poetic short-films I have seen in some time and I must admit that I haven't been able to shake images from it since I first watched it a couple of days back. It's a refreshing and haunting film, made by a clearly talented young artist, and I highly recommend you visit Rowlson Hall's Vimeo, Tumblr and official page for more examples of her work. First though, watch the remarkable Prom Night and I hope you find it as moving and powerful as I did.

PROM NIGHT from celia rowlson-hall on Vimeo.