Optical Poetry: The Life and Work of Oskar Fischinger [Paperback]

Willliam Moritz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 12, 2004

Optical Poetry is the first critical biography of the painter and experimental filmmaker Oskar Fischinger. Active in avant-garde art circles in Germany between the two world wars, Fischinger and his family would emigrate to Los Angeles just ahead of the Nazis' denunciation of degenerate art. Fischinger's pioneering experiments in Visual Music and the melding of graphic arts, abstract design, and sound were instrumental in shaping animation into an art and cinematic form and inspiring animators to pursue its aesthetic potential. An accomplished representational animator who eventually worked uneasily under contract for Paramount, MGM, and Disney, Fischinger produced numerous abstract animated films over his lifetime, invented machines such as the "Wax Machine" and the "Lumigraph" for creating images, and became an accomplished and influential abstract painter. A labor of love for author William Moritz and the product of decades of research, Optical Poetry also includes an extensive filmography and testimonials from those who knew or were influenced by Fischinger.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"At last! A full biography of Oskar Fischinger, arguably the greatest and the most influential artist of abstract or 'absolute' cinema. This informative book, written with insight and candor by film historian Dr. William Moritz, is an important contribution to our knowledge of alternative filmmaking seen through the life and art of a unique visionary" — John Canemaker, Professor/Director Animation Studies, New YorkUniversityTischSchoolof the Arts

(John Canemaker, Professor/Director Animation Studies, New YorkUniversityTischSchoolof the Arts )

"... an important addition to animation scholarship and the history of the avant garde and a fitting tribute to Moritz's own passionate dedication to Fischinger's career." —

About the Author

William Moritz, a filmmaker and writer, is on the faculty of the CalArts School of Film/Video. His 34 experimental and animation films have screened at museums in Paris, Amsterdam, and Tokyo, among others. He has published widely on animation history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: John Libbey Publishing (May 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253216419
• ISBN-13: 978-0253216410
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #758,727 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, July 10, 2005

By 

mako (SF Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Optical Poetry: The Life and Work of Oskar Fischinger (Paperback)

I had never heard of Oskar Fischinger until I came across his "Kreise", and was surprised that such a work had been conceived in 1933. It predates and anticipates today's synchronized light shows, abstract music videos, and even Winamp visualizations.

Nevertheless, Fischinger remains a relative unknown. Thankfully William Moritz's biography provides a great deal of information on Fischinger's life and artistic influences. It is rather short, but it makes up for this with generous color illustrations throughout, which are definitely worth the price of admission. A complete descriptive filmography and a collection of "statements" from people who knew Fischinger round out the book.

It's a good book (if not the only book) for learning more about Fischinger and his work.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Optical Poetry, November 26, 2004

By 

Fischinger fan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Optical Poetry: The Life and Work of Oskar Fischinger (Paperback)

This book is a labor of love, and the culmination of Dr. Moritz's 30+ years of research and work with Oskar's widow, Elfriede. It includes statements written by Oskar about his films; testimonials from several generations of filmmakers inspired by Fischinger; a detailed filmography; and extensive appendices. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Fischinger, or the history of animation.