Exquisite Corpse

Exquisite Corpse

  • Overview
  • Cast
  • Crew

Status

Released

Release Date

Jan 1, 1978

Runtime

0h 8m

Original Title

Exquisite Corpse

Director

Ernest Gusella

Description

The "exquisite corpse" named in the title of this piece refers to a favorite game of the Surrealists, played by passing a folded sheet of paper among a group; each person draws one section of a body on the folded segment without looking at the other sides. What was done with pen and paper, Gusella accomplishes electronically using the VideoLab. Utilizing quick, voltage-controlled live switching between two cameras, Gusella approximates composite images. For examples, his torso appears to combine with a close-up of his face. The perceptual effect is mesmerizing and disorienting.