Tom Chomont was a renowned filmmaker who made a lasting impact on the New York underground film scene, producing films for over four decades. Despite being a survivor of HIV and Parkinson's Disease, Tom Chomont sadly passed away on June 28, 2010.
As noted by Fred Camper, Tom Chomont's films are a unique blend of poetic and controlled personal statements, with a sense of privacy that makes them almost hermetic. His work explores the fundamental human experiences of existence, imagination, and mortality.
Throughout his career, which spanned from 1962 to 1989, Tom Chomont created over 40 films, the majority of which are silent and range from under a minute to 16 minutes in length. His films often feature portraits of friends and are characterized by a lyrical evocation of the ordinary world, while also revealing a spiritual and sexual parallel universe.
Tom Chomont's distinctive filmmaking technique, which involves offsetting color positive and high contrast black and white negative, creates a beautiful and evocative atmosphere that transcends the ordinary.
In the 1990s, Tom Chomont transitioned to working exclusively in video, producing raw and hard-edged films that often feature explicit S&M imagery. However, his work goes beyond the performative aspects of sadomasochistic practice, instead offering a gateway to a transcendent and philosophical realm.
