Mildred "Chick" Strand, a multifaceted artist of remarkable versatility and breadth, embarked on a truly extraordinary journey that would span an impressive duration of over three decades, a testament to her unwavering dedication and unrelenting passion for creative expression.
With a freshly minted anthropology degree in the early 1960s, she redirected her focus towards the burgeoning field of ethnographic filmmaking, utilizing her newfound expertise to delve deep into the uncharted territories of experimental documentary, where she would spend the next several years honing her craft and pushing the boundaries of the medium.
In the year 1961, a pivotal moment in cinematic history unfolded as Bruce Baillie and Jonas Mekas co-founded Canyon Cinema, a groundbreaking organization that would later give rise to the esteemed San Francisco Cinematheque in 1965.
This pioneering endeavor, spearheaded by the visionaries Baillie and Mekas, boldly disrupted the conventional film landscape by organizing a series of unconventional screenings in East Bay locations, including the unorthodox settings of backyards and community centers.
This bold move was a direct response to the scarcity of public venues available for showcasing independent films, a circumstance that coincided with a widespread explosion in the American avant-garde film movement.
The era in which Canyon Cinema emerged was characterized by an atmosphere of social idealism and communal energy, and the films showcased by Baillie and Mekas fearlessly explored the intersection of cinematic visual expression and cultural critique, fearlessly pushing the boundaries of storytelling and artistic expression.
Their innovative approach to film distribution and exhibition helped pave the way for a new generation of independent filmmakers, and Canyon Cinema's legacy continues to inspire and influence filmmakers to this day.
As the tumultuous decade of the 1960s slowly drew to a close, the esteemed artist, Barbara Strand, made the bold decision to relocate to the sun-kissed landscape of Southern California, driven by an insatiable desire to further hone her skills in the realm of ethnographic film at the prestigious University of California, Los Angeles.
Subsequent to her academic pursuits, Strand took on the esteemed role of director of the film as art program at Occidental College, a position she would go on to hold with distinction for an impressive quarter of a century.
Throughout the 1970s, Strand continued to refine her unique visual aesthetic, and her subjects increasingly became women, imbuing her work with a deep sense of empathy and understanding.
She developed a distinctive filmmaking style, characterized by the use of backlit subjects, captured in close-up and motion, via a handheld telephoto lens, resulting in sensual, lyrical images that would become synonymous with Strand's artistic identity.
Throughout her illustrious career, Strand created nearly a score of remarkable films, each one a testament to her unwavering dedication to her craft. Concurrently, she honed her skills as a photographer and painter, further solidifying her status as a multi-talented artist.
