Representation of subjectivity in the diary films and videos of Jonas Mekas
Date
30/06/2016Author
Smith, Thomas David
Smith, Tom
Metadata
Abstract
This thesis explores the representation of subjectivity in the diary films, videos and
online projects of Jonas Mekas. In Chapter 1 the intersection of avant-garde and
documentary practices are traced to establish that avant-garde filmmakers prioritised
subjective representations of the historical world before it became more widely
adopted by documentarians. Chapters 2 and 3 then focus on the representation of
Mekas’ subjectivity in film, while Chapters 4 and 5 focus on video and the Internet.
By employing this chronological and technological structure the theoretical and
historical debates around subjectivity in film is established in the first three chapters,
then re-explored through the prism of new technology. The chapters also operate in
pairs that bridge the technological divide to emphasise the different ways that the
textual representation of subjectivity is fragmented: Chapters 2 and 4 both focus on
the articulation of subjectivity at the moment of shooting, while Chapters 3 and 5
explore the organisation of that material, where new layers of self-inscription are
applied. The chapters therefore expand and complicate issues of split subjectivity
within new technological frameworks, while remaining focused on attempting to
understand Mekas’ diary practice.