Scape-Mates

A visionary cinematic experience that seamlessly blends surreality with digital ingenuity, Scape-Mates is a groundbreaking experiment in video that pushes the boundaries of artistic expression. Created by pioneer artist-filmmaker Ed Emshwiller, this film unveils a landscape where abstract and figurative elements dance together in a kaleidoscope of constantly evolving visuals. Using the "Scan-i-mate," an early video synthesizer, Emshwiller conjures an architectural illusion, where frames proliferate within frames and disembodied heads and hands float within a collage of animated forms. Dancers are chroma-keyed into this mutable environment, their movements and surroundings subjected to mesmerizing transformations through image processing. Scape-Mates' interplay of the real and unreal within its digital realm introduces an extraordinary language of visual storytelling, highlighting Emshwiller's mastery in crafting sculptural illusions of three-dimensionality. A must-see masterpiece that revolutionized video image-making, Scape-Mates continues to captivate audiences with its visionary blend of art and technology.