Ed Emshwiller

Influential figure of the American avant-garde of the 1960s and 70s, whose films include "Thanatopsis" (1962, 5 mins), "Relativity" (1966, 38 mins) and "Totem" (1975, 16 mins). Emshwiller's works--encompassing film, video and computer graphics--are noted for their inventive, often abstracted, representation of the human body and for the technical prowess of their maker. Emshwiller also served as cinematographer on a couple of films by Emile D'Antonio. From 1979 until his death, he was the dean of the film and video school at the California Institute of the Arts.