Bruce Conner (1933–2008)

Bruce Conner was an influential American artist and avant-garde filmmaker whose work shaped postwar art and experimental cinema. Born in McPherson, Kansas, Conner studied at Wichita University and the University of Nebraska, where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1956. Relocating to San Francisco in 1957, he became a prominent figure within the city’s Beat movement and experimental art scene. His early assemblage art incorporated found materials—such as nylon stockings, broken dolls, and bicycle parts—to create provocative pieces like Child (1959), critiquing consumerism and societal decay. Conner is best known in film for A Movie (1958), a pioneering work of found-footage montage that established his place in experimental cinema. His subsequent films, including Cosmic Ray (1961) and Report (1967), explored complex themes through innovative editing techniques. Conner’s work also engaged with psychedelic culture, influencing projects like Looking for Mushrooms (1959–1967), inspired by his psilocybin experiences in Mexico. His multifaceted practice included intricate inkblot drawings, collages, and photograms.