Maya Deren & Madeleine Hunt-Ehrigh

Pearl's presentation was really interesting. I was drawn to Maya Deren as a human just as much as her work itself. The fact she obtained a college degree in the 1940's is remarkable! Even more incredibly, her accomplishment of the first Guggenheim grant ever is some serious female power! She wrote, starred, shot, AND edited her own films (on actual film) is badass. I literally wrote and underlined the word, BADASS! Her techniques of using jump cuts, superimposition, surrealism, and movement are awe inspiring. I love the mystery around Deren's death on a Friday the 13th having potentially been due to her reaction to her being cut out of the family will. That's far more interesting way for an artist to pass away than a brain hemmorage. As for the similarities of Deren and Madeleine Hunt-Ehrigh, both based in NY, love working with other cultures and films based on humanity and dance. That is literally all I have written down for her because Deren's life was so mesmorizing that it overshadowed Madeleine!

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