Arts: I’ll Be Your Mirror
Star turn as Alan Moore and Sunn O))) orbit Henry Smith’s Heaven And Earth Magic
Harry Smith was an artistic polymath as well as being the world’s greatest magician (according to Kenneth Anger, at least), an anthropologist, an ethnomusicologist, an artist and mystic. He’s no doubt best-known to readers of this organ as the compiler of the much-revered 1952 Anthology Of American Folk Music, but he was also a recognised auteur. His series of bizarre and inventive films (which were clearly an influence on David Foster Wallace when he was writing Infinite Jest) were inspired by the occult, jazz, beatnik writings, the Qabalah, alchemy and other unlikely sources.
Heaven And Earth Magic (1962) is widely regarded as his best film, using a distinctive style of photo animation to tell the story of a woman who gets toothache, dies, goes to heaven after losing her very important watermelon and then has visions of the Earth being eaten by philologist and founder of comparative religious studies, Max Müller, on the day that Edward VII declared the Great Sewer of London.
Due to its striking imagery and esoteric nature, Heaven And Earth Magic has long been a favourite for soundtrackers including John Zorn and Flying Lotus. Probably the most exciting sonic reinterpretation we’ve heard of, however, is the one that former Stool Pigeon cover star and modern day occultist Alan Moore and Sunn O))) avant-metalhead Stephen O’Malley will be performing at All Tomorrow’s Parties I’ll Be Your Mirror festival on the weekend of July 23, alongside Portishead, Grinderman, PJ Harvey and others.
I’ll Be Your Mirror
July 23—July 24
Alexandra Palace
atpfestival.com
