"I have always allowed ideational motives to extract obvious production choices and reflect the innately understood connections between these forms and contents--the way music is moving and understandable, humorous or challenging without the markers most often conveyed by these adjectives. I use the words 'innately' or 'obvious' here as a compliment to you, dear viewer, as I tend, in dreams, to endow you with chillingly analytical as well as childishly irreverent brains." (from Barber’s lecture FOR A LAWN POEM 2007)
Though she is writing here about her poems, I see her films make similar requests of viewers. It is this trust ("faith" as Spike, in Barber’s 2001 film dogs puts it) which causes Barber’s films to stand somewhere outside of what is traditionally recognized as "experimental film" and be viewed as simply (!) lovely pieces of art. (Henry Trial 2008)
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