EQUAL is a cinematic exploration of Richard Serra’s sculpture of the same name on display at the Museum of Modern Art.
The sculpture consists of eight forged-steel blocks stacked in pairs. Each rectangular block measures 5 feet by 5 and 1/2 feet by 6 feet and weighs 40 tons. The blocks are rotated and stacked so that the top and bottom blocks align differently. Yet the four stacks are each 11 feet tall.
This simple form makes me think about space, mass, weight, and time. Like the sculpture, my film seeks to both overwhelm the viewer and invite contemplation.
THIS FILM SHOULD BE PLAYED LOUD IN A DARK ROOM
Tom was born and raised in the Astoria section of Queens in New York City in 1957. From there he commuted by subway to attended The Bronx High School of Science. Tom studied mathematics and electrical engineering at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. While attending the Engineering School, he took advantage of Art School classes, focusing on film theory and studying experimental filmmaking with Robert Breer. In the late 1970s, he started photographing the downtown music scene. His photographs have appeared on dozens of records as well as in films, books, magazines, and newspapers.
Tom Bessoir’s experimental films often use mathematics and randomness to explore perception and the structure of cinema.
In the arts, Tom Bessoir is best known for Microfilm (1979), Digits of Pi (2019), and his photography documenting downtown NYC.
