Filmwise 3/4 : Gregory J. Markopoulos
New York: Cinema 16 Incorporated, 1963. Side-stapled 8-1/2" x 11" mimeographed in cover wraps, 68 pp. P. Adams Sitney's journal dedicated to experimental and avant-garde cinema. This issue was published when Sitney was 17 years old. He began publishing Filmwise following a chance encounter with Stan Brakhage in New York City during a screening of his films in 1961. The two continued to correspond with Sitney arranging a screening of Brakhage's films in New Haven and Brakhage sending Sitney a bundle of his writings which would later be collated into the first issue. On the day Brakhage arrived in New York City, Maya Deren had died. A moment in time the editor saw metaphorically as the passing of the torch and saw fit for the second issue of Filmwise to be dedicated to the work and legacy of Maya Deren, a matriarchal figure of the avant-garde.
The first six issues were mapped out from the beginning with Sitney proclaiming in the first issue that there would be an issue dedicated to the work of Greek-American filmmaker from Ohio, Gregory J. Markopoulos, who had been a contributor to Filmwise and Film Culture from the beginning, and collaborated with Jonas Mekas, Shirley Clarke and Brakhage on what would later be seen as the New American Cinema Movement.
This double issue, numbers 3 & 4, is numbered 116 and signed by Markopoulos to the editorial, page 2.
Staff of this first publication was rounded out by assistant editors George Landow and Ken Kelman; Secretary Steve Brown. Cover by Jean Cocteau with layout by Richard Tuttle. Contributions on the work of Markopoulos by Jan Wahl, Kaaren Klingel, Curtis Harrington, Elwood Decker, Mary Batten, Gerard Malanga, Stan Brakhage, Donald Weinstein, Charles Boultenhouse, Gregory Battock, Harry Feldman, Parker Tyler.
Very scarce in any condition, and an early document of experimental cinema. Good to very good condition, pages are fairly toned and browned, wraps also toned with some soiling and foxing, light edge wear and some minor creasing to corners, despite looks a very strong copy for its age. Item #2619
Price: $150.00