Phase IV by Saul Bass

A Major Influence For My Art…

The thing I like about good science fiction, is that it ‘projects’ our experiences in this present time and raises questions about how we relate to technology and scientific progress. Good science fiction is by no means ‘geeky’!

A film that continues to inspire me in my artwork is Phase IV by Saul Bass. This was his only feature film. Rather than as a director, he gained recognition for his iconic start sequences on many Hitchcock films.

Phase IV’s plot revolves around a desert research base, location unspecified but presumably in the Southwestern deserts of the United States Of America. An unexplained cosmic event has passed across the world without any noticeable effects. However, later these desert base researchers find out the ants at least in this desert region have gained a collective intelligence to match those of us humans! A battle of wits then ensues, it turns out rather than wanting to eradicate humankind, the ants have other plans for us! You can find out more about the plot on wikipedia or this great in depth review by Jonathan Rosenbaum.

I often ask why I like this film so much when many others have given it a “so so” review. For me, the main factor is the otherworldly “indie” feel of the film. Growing up in England, deserts were from “elsewhere”. However, ants could be easily found in the garden outside or the dry cracked mud paths of a North Norfolk summer. The cinematography is also notable, see the video below about this.

Like all good films, it remains embedded in my memory, and for that reason has inspired me in many ways with my own artwork. Ants are so different to us but at the same time when we view our civilisation from above, towns, cities, roads, engineering structures form a collective ‘hive’ with interrelating functions clearly visible, indiscriminate human ‘ants’ carrying out tasks vital to the collective ‘hive’. One can also get this impression from other films such as Koyaanisqatsi directed by Godfrey Reggio.

In my art I like to include images of ants that nod towards ideas about humans as a kind of collective ‘hive’ which is horrifying but also fascinating. I include ants in my work to communicate many other ideas and it is also up to the viewer to interpret things too.

So what do you think? Does humankind as a collective ‘hive’ frighten you or amaze you? Have you seen this film? If not, you should!

Check out just some of my artworks with ants in it –

Ants and bees series

EchoFab, FabLab art residency

Streams, Graphic Novel