The filmmaker Jud Yalkut not only made some of the most important documentary films in the East Coast USA avant grade art scene but he was close friends with Nam June Paik, Charlotte Moorman and Jonas Mekas amongst others and was active in the avant grade of the 60s and 70s.
A significant figure in avant grade cinema, Yalkut initially gained a lot of attention from his involvement in the USCO group: an American media art collective founded by Gerd Stern, Michael Callahan, and Steve Durkee but to which Yalkut soon became a significant figure creating many of the group’s installations, films and often designing the group’s publicity material. The films TURN, TURN, TURN , GHOST REV, DIFFRACTION FILM, and DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE might be regarded as works that were primarily created as USCO artworks although the first of these films was created in co-operation with Nam June Paik – the giant of experimental video with whom, thereafter, he regularly collaborated.
The emerging counter culture scene and the rise of rock music as the dominant musical genre in the United States led Yalkut to make a number of films involving musicians and, in particular, the film AQUARIAN RUSHES where Yalkut documented the events and bands of Woodstock. He continued to involve himself with new music performances including being part at times of the Fluxorchestra (which had a fluid and ever changing membership) but he also continued to create major installations using projections and music. Even in his later years he would often film musicians including jazz innovators such as Warren James and Pee Wee Russell.
In 1967 Yalkut made SELF-OBLITERATION the most important film about Yayoi Kusuma which introduced her to a wider art audience. The film was shown regularly on the art circuit and drew more attention to the filmmaker who by now was a common figure at screenings in New York and, later, in Ohio.
Yalkut continued to work well into his 60s and in the 70s started a film and video program at Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. His later life was as primarily as a teacher with occasional forays into the world of art. He died in 2013 only months after a major retrospective of this life and works was shown at Dayton University, OH.
Here we offer an archive of the ephemeral and other material from Yalkut’s activities – mostly from the period 1965 to 1975 when he was most active. There are very scarce items here including a number of unique horoscopes that Yalkut made for his friends and colleagues and, in particular, there is the original collage/paste up that Yalkut made for the premiere of SELF-OBLITERATION in 1967 which incorporates an original photograph by the artist of Kusama.
In total there are 72 items in this archive – all came directly or indirectly from Yalkut’s own holdings. The collection is for sale (or even available for exhibition under certain circumstances) – do enquire as to price. Please note we may consider selling individual items from this group – again please enquire.
SPRING ARTS FESTIVAL FILMS. TRUE ‘TERMINAL EXPERIENCE. 1968.
Cincinatti: University of Cincinatti, 1968 21 x 28cm, 1pp b/w offset lithographic leaflet to promote the Festival – has a collage of press cuttings about the festival performances which includes Hermann Nitsch and Jud Yalkut including a part interview. VG.
SOMETHING ELSE GALLERY BENEFIT FOR THE LAND PRESS. 1969.
NYC: Something Else Gallery, 1968 28 x 21.5cm, 1pp b/w offset flyer for an evening at Dick Higgins’ gallery featuring “”poets and film-makers.Those included alongside Yalkut were Jackson Mac Low, Iris Lezak; Carol Berge, Larry Friefeld (who designed the leaflet), John Harriman, Harry Smith, Micheal Snow, Alison Knowles and Mel Shults. VG.
WALTSPACER. 1969.
NYC:n.p. (Dick Higgins?), 1968 21 x 28cm, 1pp b/w offset lithographic leaflet for an “Evening of tributes to Walt Whitman organized by Mac Low and Iris Lezak” featuring Yalkut’s “”Eclipse Movie,” and readings by poets including Carol Berge, Aer Berger, Paul Blackburn, Micheal Heller, Spencer Holst, Jerome Rothenberg, Armand Shwerner and others. There were also projection works by Alison Knowles, Jackson Mac Low, Geoff Henricks, Iris Lezak Mac Low and Jalkut. The drawing of Whitman is not credited but it looks like Dick Higgin’s style. VG. Scarce.
CENTRE DU FILM UNDERGROUND FILM CENTRE. 1969.
Montreal: Centre du Film Underground, 1969 30 x 19cm, 2pp purple on white and b/w offset lithographic leaflet for the Canadian experimental cinemas film programme which includes James McBride, Andrew Noren, David Bienstock, Jonas Mekas and Yalkut’s film of Yayoi Kusama – “Self Obliteration.” Small images of the films on back. Text in french and English. Some wear and tear to the top of the leaflet else VG.
WOODSTOCK & SELF-OBLITERATION. AN EVENING OF FILMS. 1969 ?.
New Brunswick: Brecht West, n.d. (1969?) 28 x 21.5cm, 1pp black on yellow offset lithographic leaflet for a screening of the two important Yalkut films – “Woodstock”” presumably mistakenly refers to Yalkut’s 1969 film “Aquarian Rushes,”” which documented the festival. And the other Film is his important portrait of Yayoi Kusama. VG.
HAND MADE HOROSCOPES FOR LARRY KESSLER & GENE YOUNGBLOOD. c. 1969.
24 x 16.5cm, double sided workings for two personal horoscopes for Larry Kessler (the abstract artist) and the cineast Gene Youngblood. The paper is from commercially purchased sheets that allow for the casting of these diagrams but there are extensive calculations by Yalkut for both subjects considering many aspects of the supposed influence of the sun and moon and stars on their lives. Yalkut was a serious practitioner of astronomy. He often created personal horoscopes for his friends and used them to give advice on how to make decisions (and who to work with). These are two examples of such horoscopes.
HAND MADE HOROSCOPE FOR SPENCER DAVIS. c. 1969.
28 x 21.5cm, 1pp working for a personal horoscope for Spencer Davis (the artist not the musician). The paper is a xerox from commercially purchased sheets that allow for the casting of these diagrams but there are extensive calculations by Yalkut considering many aspects of the supposed influence of the sun and moon and stars on their lives. Yalkut was a serious practitioner of astronomy. He often created personal horoscopes for his friends and used them to give advice on how to make decisions (and who to work with). This one such example of these pseudo-scientific items. VG although previously folded.
HAND MADE HOROSCOPE FOR IRA SCHNEIDER. c. 1969.
28 x 21.5cm, 1pp working for a personal horoscope for Ira Schneider. The paper is a xerox from commercially purchased sheets that allow for the casting of these diagrams but there are extensive calculations by Yalkut considering many aspects of the supposed influence of the sun and moon and stars on their lives. Yalkut was a serious practitioner of astronomy. He often created personal horoscopes for his friends and used them to give advice on how to make decisions (and who to work with). This one such example of these pseudo-scientific items. VG although previously folded.
HAND MADE HOROSCOPE FOR ISOBE. c. 1969.
24 x 17cm, 1pp working for a personal horoscope for Isobe (actually the painter Brian Yoshimi Isobe). The paper is from commercially purchased sheets that allow for the casting of these diagrams but there are extensive calculations by Yalkut considering many aspects of the supposed influence of the sun and moon and stars on their lives. E Yalkut was a serious practitioner of astronomy. He often created personal horoscopes for his friends and used them to give advice on how to make decisions (and who to work with). This one such example of these pseudo-scientific items. VG although previously folded.
HAND MADE HOROSCOPE FOR LARRY FREIFELD. c. 1969.
24 x 17cm, 1pp working for a personal horoscope for Larry Freifeld (Elazar Larry Freifeld – the writer). The paper is from commercially purchased sheets that allow for the casting of these diagrams but there are extensive calculations by Yalkut considering many aspects of the supposed influence of the sun and moon and stars on their lives. Yalkut was a serious practitioner of astronomy. He often created personal horoscopes for his friends and used them to give advice on how to make decisions (and who to work with). This one such example of these pseudo-scientific items. VG although previously folded.
HAND MADE HOROSCOPE FOR IRIS LEZAK. c. 1969.
28 x 21.5cm, 1pp working for a personal horoscope for Iris Lezak (the painter and very close friend of Jackson Mac Low). The paper is from commercially purchased sheets that allow for the casting of these diagrams but there are extensive calculations by Yalkut considering many aspects of the supposed influence of the sun and moon and stars on their lives. Yalkut was a serious practitioner of astronomy. He often created personal horoscopes for his friends and used them to give advice on how to make decisions (and who to work with). This one such example of these pseudo-scientific items. VG although previously folded.