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Gordon Matta-Clark (1943-1978)


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Office Baroque 1977 16mm, color, sound, 44 minutes

Office Baroque was one of Matta-Clark's last major works, completed in October 1977. The documentary was filmed by Eric Covents and Roger Steylaerts. It is professionally produced and contains many beautiful tracking and panning shots, in addition to sequences in which Matta-Clark talks at length about the work.

An empty five-story office building in Antwerp was used for the project. Matta-Clark made two circular cuts which started inside the building, and went out through the roof. The two cuts took the shape of intertwining circles, inspired by the accidental rings left by teacups on paper. In an interview, Matta-Clark described the work: "Where these circles crossed, a peculiar, almost row-boat shaped hole resulted and was mutated from floor to floor as structural beams and available floor space dictated."

A long sequence at the end of the film celebrates the play of light created by Matta-Clark's cuts. In one particularly moving image, a sunbeam on the floor is seen extending, in exact proportion, one of the circular cuts.


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This UbuWeb resource is presented in partnership with GreyLodge


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