Joseph Cornell collezionista di film

Le serate cinematografiche del “cacciatore di immagini”

Abstract

Joseph Cornell was not only a prolific collector of everyday ephemera but also a dedicated f ilm enthusiast whose work merged archival practice with artistic invention. In his cluttered basement studio, Cornell assembled materials that would later inform his celebrated shadow boxes and film collages. His approach to collecting was deeply personal, functioning as a means of connecting with lost times and forgotten narratives rather than mere possession. Beginning in the late 1920s, Cornell amassed books, photographs, and a vast collection of f ilm stills and reels. He organized film soirées reminiscent of early nickelodeon experiences, screening selections from his collection alongside his film-collages such as Rose Hobart. By reassembling fragments from diverse sources – silent films, newsreels, and animation – Cornell redefined cinematic language, offering audiences a poetic montage that reanimated discarded images into new, evocative narratives.