Art Seymour | Solo Performance tells the story of the chevron bead through its premiere master craftsman, Art Seymour, with a detailed look at his process as well as his philosophies on the culture of this prized bead. From ancient chevrons and the coast of Africa to “heavy metal” jazz beads in the Reno desert, this 26-minute piece takes a very personal look at Art Seymour and – in his words – his “physical manifestation of the abstract concepts heat and light.”
“Many audience members were absolutely transfixed in a world they have never known about before, let alone experienced,” said Trevor Greenfield, festival director.
Art Seymour was a unique festival entry in that it was born as a joint academic project between NUAMPS, Kearsley Stewart, Senior Lecturer of WCAS Anthropology, and David Schoenbrun, Associate Professor of WCAS History. Harlan Wallach, Architect for Media Technologies with AT, directed the piece. Jeremy Brunjes and Stefani Foster were the cinematographers, and Mr. Brunjes also edited the film.
For the filmmakers, the visual exploration of both the process and the product of Seymour’s work is at the center of the story as it follows the development of Seymour’s bead from the traditional 7 layer to the chevron’s latest incarnation, the mega-layered chevron with up to 17 layers with Seymour turning the classical form into a vehicle of personal artistic vision. The film was shot in High Definition Video (HDV) to fully capture the details and colors of the intricately crafted glass.
As part of an effort to expand the methods by which NU-produced content is disseminated, NUAMPS began looking into the possibility of film festivals as stages for scholarly work. The Idaho Panhandle International Film Festival took place from August 24 – 26, 2006 in Sandpoint, Idaho and showcased fifty-five films. For more information on IPIFF visit http://www.ipiff.com/.