Eve-Ray-Forever

Directed by Bruce Conner

EVE-RAY-FOREVER is a silent, three-screen expanded version of COSMIC RAY (1961). Originally exhibited as an 8mm Technicolor looped installation at the Rose Art Museum in 1965, it was digitally restored in 2006 by Conner in close collaboration with his editor, Michelle Silva. By combining three channels of footage of slightly different lengths, EVE-RAY-FOREVER generates an ever-changing, chance-based juxtaposition of images that flash on the screen with dizzying speed. The film’s name reflects the tripartite structure of the work, with “Eve” referring to the nude woman who appears on the far left channel, “Ray” to Ray Charles, the inspiration for COSMIC RAY, and “Forever” signifying its looped playback, which allows the work to play and mutate continuously.