Talking to George Manupelli

Works In Progress

"LI^DAY A: '^2^ I3SO

i-- Talking
to George
Manupelli

By Martha Keller

"Art takes thinking, -,,
passion, confusion, :

standing," George Manu; .

ent Ann Arbor Film Festi-

•'•"•-"c -"p'ntained that
fingertips.
;r.rt think a

A founder of the film festival,
Manupelli taught art at the Uni-
versity of Michigan from T.2 to

GEORGE MANUPELLI

What are you doing and why are
you doing it? What's the connec-
tion with life; what's the reality of
it? Who is it for?

The "who" of art is the nub of
Manupelli's own art - his films.

,id
, ippies
.', a con-
en and
.. ......... ... ...iles that.

are things in art not poss
ept with people talking i

MANUPELLI'S TEACHING
bases art on "how to have ideas."

"Let's examine those pro-
cesses. When you have an idea,
what do you do with it? How do
you present it?" He says that he
tries to put the student in the cen-
ter, rather than as an appendage
to art history.

His instruction to students is:

-da

"another limited but very expres-'
sive tool in the way of thinking
and creating...I don't think the
concerns in film should be format
anyway...! put the camera on th«
tripod and press the button and •
look hard." J

See Manupelli, Page C-5 f

can do ;• •; „ . "do
best of all."
It's not a matter of being adept

What „:

THE QUESTIONS Manupelli
thinks must be asked in regard to
art and artist are: "WhoMeyou^^

Manupelli.,

-r'ageC-l

But while art is personal, Manu-
pelli (eels that "you don't want to

How concerned can you be with
yourself?

look w"

not -

think a.

things...helping others. I wci.

use the medium to learn, i

plore."

A sense of humor is also impor-
tant, Manupelli believes.

"I TRY TO stay as naive and t
nocent as I can", Manupelli says.
"In film, you can produce
dreams, the alternative to how
'.. •••• • 1c says he
'he form
:iits. Still

:. -to take
si; •s of the

Arough humor."

lighting
things...tl.
that sends
tion."