Tone Glow Presents "River of Stars: Bruce Wood's Expressionist Abstractions"

Tone Glow is excited to present “River of Stars,” a two-program retrospective of works by Bruce Wood (b. 1951). Wood is a Massachusetts-based painter whose love for the avant-garde maestros Stan Brakhage and Robert Breer led to his own interest in filmmaking. He moved to Chicago in the 1970s so he could study under Brakhage, and soon thereafter had a short but prolific stretch of years constructing monochromatic works that both reduced and magnified images into dazzling portraits of light and rhythm. These works of pure abstraction present film in its purest sense, encouraging a surrendering to its various figures—blobs and stripes, shadows and specks—in all their sensuous beauty. This rare screening presents nine highlights from his filmography, including a newly struck print for his early work 1975 Sketches. Wood’s films haven’t been shown in Chicago since 2009, and this event provides an opportunity to get a glimpse of Chicago’s overlooked history of experimental film. All films will be shown on 16mm.

A screening of his works will take place in Pittsburgh on Sunday, August 2nd at The Glitterbox Theater. Tickets can be purchased here. Another screening will take place in Chicago on Wednesday, August 12th at Elastic Arts. Tickets can be purchased here. One ticket is good for the entire event, and tickets will also be available at the door. Watch the trailer below. Read the Tone Glow interview with Bruce Wood here.

Silver Traces (Bruce Wood, 1976)

Program 1 at 7PM

1. ACE Number 5 (Red Version) (1974, color, silent, 8 mins)
2. 1975 Sketches (1975, color, silent, 3 mins)
3. River of Stars (1975, b&w, silent, 10 mins)
4. Arctic Desire (1976, b&w, silent, 7 mins)
5. Island Design (1976, b&w, silent, 6 mins)
6. Silver Traces (1976, b&w, silent, 6 mins)

TRT = 40 mins

The Smell of Death (Bruce Wood, 1977)

Program 2 at 8PM

1. Airless Passage (1976, b&w, silent, 13 mins)
2. The Smell of Death (1977, b&w, silent, 16 mins)
3. Edge Forces (1976, b&w, silent, 11 mins)

TRT = 40 mins