The Film Work of Norman McLaren

The Film Work of Norman McLaren examines his films in the context of his objectives. The first part deals with McLaren’s formative years in Scotland and England and examines his early exposure to the social, artistic, and institutional influences that were to shape his filmic output. The second part deals with McLaren’s maturation in the USA and Canada. The third part is concerned principally with his mature output. McLaren’s films contain incongruities, conflicts, and apparent inconsistencies. In exploring these aspects of his work, Terence Dobson examines the technical processes McLaren used in making his films, the oscillation shown in his films between abstract and representational imagery, and the degree of accord between McLaren’s social and artistic objectives, and his filmic achievements.