Film, Space, Body: The Works of Tony Hill
Project description
Film, Space, Body: The Works of Tony Hill explores the practice of experimental filmmaker Tony Hill (b. 1946, London), whose work blurs the boundaries between sculpture and cinema. Transforming moving images into three-dimensional spatial experiences, Hill treats projection, camera movement and the viewing environment as sculptural elements. Initially trained in architecture before studying sculpture at St Martin’s College, he developed his distinctive approach through his involvement with the London Filmmakers’ Co-operative (LFMC) during the 1970s.
The LFMC’s experimental ethos encouraged him to challenge conventional cinematic forms and conceive projection not simply as image display, but as a “sculptural event” that brings together the image, physical space and viewer. His early work Floor Film (1975) exemplifies this approach: a screen is placed horizontally on the floor, with images of people filmed from below projected onto it via a mirror. As viewers stand on the screen, their bodies become visually entangled with the projected figures, disrupting conventional perspective and bodily orientation.
Hill’s subsequent films and installations continue to challenge the flat cinema screen through unconventional, often interactive configurations that explore gravity, movement and perception. In Downside Up (1984), a continuously orbiting camera turns the world and the viewer’s perspective inside out, while Water Work (1987) explores the shifting boundary between the surface and depths of a swimming pool, merging water, landscape and the human body. Laws of Nature(1997) examines the relationship between the body and natural forces, while Camera Obscura (2000) combines architectural space and personal narrative in a portrait of Darlington Hall Estate in Devon.
Balancing intellectual puzzles with emotional resonance, Hill’s films use mechanical movement and technical experimentation to investigate time, space, identity and embodiment. To achieve effects beyond conventional cinematic constraints, he has developed custom-built camera rigs and projection devices, extending his practice through collaborations including Hotel Bardo, created with artist Wistanley Schtinter during a Light Cone Atelier 105 residency in 2018, and the music video for A$AP Rocky’s A$AP Forever (2018).
Bio
Tony Hill (b. 1946, London) is a British experimental filmmaker and artist whose practice brings together film, sculpture, architecture and mechanical invention. Emerging from the London Filmmakers’ Co-operative in the 1970s, he has developed a distinctive approach to moving image in which cameras, projection systems and physical space become integral parts of the work.
His work has been presented internationally at galleries, museums and film festivals, including Tate Britain, Centre Pompidou and the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford. More recent presentations include Rhythm and Geometry: Constructivist Art in Britain since 1951 at the Sainsbury Centre (2021–2022), Anthony Hill. 5 Decades (2023), and screenings and presentations of his films through international film programmes and festivals.
Project details
Year: 2014
Artist: Tony Hill
Exhibition: Film and installation
Curated by: Keith Whittle and Margherita Gramegna
Country: United Kingdom