Brothers Quay: The Ultra Surreal Filmmakers


by Mary Vareli - Date: 2006-12-04 - Word Count: 390 Share This!

Brothers Quay are two of the most original ultra surreal filmmakers of the past decade. They are identical twins born in Pennsylvania and living in London in a low profile manner. They have made their unique and innovative animated films in Koninck Studios.

The Quays are characterized by love to detail. The imaginary, the mystical and the fairytale, all possess in their movies a haunting relationship with colour and texture by means of their special use of focus and camera movement. They are masters of miniaturization and on their tiny sets they have created an unforgettable world, suggestive of a landscape of long-repressed, nostalgic childhood dreams.

With Institute Benjamenta they made their first movement towards a live-action feature-length filmmaking. The Quays' interest in esoteric illusions finds its perfect realization in this fascinating animated lecture on the art of anamorphosis. (De Artificialia Perspectiva or Anamorphosis, 1991, 15 mins, Color, 35mm & 16mm) This artistic technique, often found in 16th and 17th century paintings, utilizes a method of visual distortion which plays mischievously with the relationship between the eye and what it sees.

The Quays have also directed pop promos for His Name is Alive, Michael Penn, Sparklehorse, 16 Horsepower, and Peter Gabriel (contributing to his "Sledgehammer" video).

Filmography

Nocturna Artificialia (1979)
The Falls (1980) --- they "act" in this Peter Greenaway film
Punch and Judy (1980) -- a documentary
Ein Brudermord (1981)
The Eternal Day of Michel De Ghelederode (1981)
The Unnameable Little Broom -- Epic of Gilgamesh (1981)
Igor, The Paris Years Chez Pleyel -- documentary about Igor Stravinsky
Leos Janacek: Intimate Excursions (1983) -- documentary
The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer (1984) -- documentary
The Street of Crocodiles (1986)
Sledge Hammer (1986) Contributed dancing chickens and fruit to Peter Gabriel video
Rehearsals for Extinct Anatomies (1988)
Still Nacht (1988) -- MTV spot
The Pond (1989)
The Comb (from the Museums of Sleep) (1990)
De Artificiali Perspectiva or Anamorphosis (1991)
Are We Still Married? (Still Nacht II) (1992) -- music video for "His Name Is Alive"
Look What the Cat Drug In (Long Way Down) (1993) -- music video for Michael Penn
Tales from the Vienna Woods (1993)
Can't Go Wrong Without You (1993) music video for "His Name Is Alive"
The Institute Benjamenta (1995) Live-action feature film
Black Soul Choir (1996?) music video for 16 Horsepower
The Quays also have done promotional films/ads for Honeywell Computers, Skips's Crisps, ICI Woodcare, BBC2, Coca-Cola, and Slurpee!


Related Tags: films, brothers quay, filmmakers

Mary Vareli

http://www.paradoxethereal.com

Transcendental art movement that collects,distributes and expands philosophically the idea of "Romantic personality" by means of artistic creation.

Info inspired by:

http://www.awn.com/heaven_and_hell/QUAY/quay1.htm http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.3/articles/buchan1.3.html http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/04/quay_brothers.html http://www.horschamp.qc.ca/new_offscreen/quay.html

Read Through a Glass Darkly - Interview with by André Habib http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/01/19/quay.html

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