Fernand Leger (b. 1881, France – d. 1955, France)
Ballet Mécanique, 1924

I quite like the idea of “the first movie without the scenario”, I like this being the only film by an artist who has otherwise been mainly painting (so tiresome with expectations of coherent oeuvre), I like the repetition of imagery defying linearity of narrative, I like exploration of film as aesthetic form in itself and not just a medium to convey a story.

Certainly, Leger had his own agenda of new realism and there might be more planning that went into its making than just “skipping scenario” whatever that may mean (I’d assume a linear narrative). But here I am primarily registering this work as an early predecessor in subversive exploration of the medium. In that sense I could relate my “Yellow Piece”, Hextet I”, “Happening #001” and a number of other video experiments to Leger’s film experimentation a century ago.