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Six Ways Sideways is one of the early 16mm film performance based pieces that gave me my start. It requires a two projector setup with variable speed control over the films motion. The film runs through the projector with a specially made loop of 'film mask' running while the film is in the gate, having 2 strips of film in the projector at the same time.

Both the film and the mask were hand manipulated with abrasive and chemical applications. The scratches and blocks were created by applying tape over sections of the film and then bathing the film in chlorine and other chemicals, namely pool algaecide.

This film has been performed live at a few film festivals in the late 1990's but has been shown from digital since its last live performance at the Chicago Underground Film Festival on August 19th, 2001.

Six Ways Sideways takes its name from an interview with Stan Brakhage found in Film Comment magazine. It was just a phrase he used to describe the activity of his life at the time. I love the way it sounded and was working on the film while reading the piece with Stan.