Meshes Of The Afternoon / Da Mystery Of Chessboxin' (Wu-Tang Clan)
But her influence doesn’t stop at just movies. Her DNA is all over the music videos of artists like Madonna, Janelle Monae and Wu-Tang Clan (music videos are essentially short films). She’s even inspired certain lanes of underground & experimental hip-hop (Busdriver, Beans, Exile, etc).
Outside of the fact that the mirror-faced grim reaper character from Meshes Of The Afternoon has become a commonplace image over the years, a lot of the photographers, directors and artists behind the music videos shown below have a background in avant-garde & experimental art where Deren is often studied, so these connections have some merit...
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| Meshes Of The Afternoon / Electroma (Daft Punk) |
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It should be noted that the type of martial arts being performed in Deren's Meditation On Violence is Wu-Tang... Meditation On Violence / Da Mystery Of Chessboxin' (Wu-Tang Clan) |
Meshes Of The Afternoon / We're All In Power (Exile)
Meshes Of The Afternoon / We're All In Power (Exile)
Exile's entire Radio album was inspired by Meshes Of The Afternoon
Beans with a subconsious/coincidental nod to Maya Deren on his more recent album covers:
Meshes Of The Afternoon / Someday This Will All Be Ash (Beans)
Meshes Of The Afternoon / Nights Without Smiles (Beans)
Meshes Of The Afternoon / Tightrope (Janelle Monae)
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| Studies In Choreography For Camera / Justify My Love (Madonna) |
Studies In Choreography For Camera / Love Will Never Do Without You (Janet Jackson)
Studies In Choreography For Camera / Love Will Never Do Without You (Janet Jackson)
Studies In Choreography For Camera / Love Will Never Do Without You (Janet Jackson)
At Land / Cherish (Madonna)
I know black & white imagery of someone running alone on the beach is pretty common, but considering this video was directed by Herb Ritts (director of both Cherish & Love Will Never Do Without You), it's safe to assume the Deren influence didn't just stop at Janet Jackson & Madonna.
Also, Chris Isaak's Wicked Game is connected to another student of Maya Deren. Not only did David Lynch direct the original video for this song, but it's also featured heavily in Lynch's Wild At Heart...
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At Land / Wicked Game (Chris Isaak) |
Meshes Of The Afternoon / Notebook (Busdriver)
Meshes Of The Afternoon / Notebook (Busdriver)
Both of these are bookended with similar visuals:
Ensemble For Somnambulists / Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel)
At Land / Hot For Teacher (Van Halen)
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Meshes Of The Afternoon / THEHIDDENCHARACTER (???)    |
