Anger, Kenneth

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Kenneth Anger (born Kenneth Wilbur Anglemyer, February 3, 1927) is an American underground experimental filmmaker, actor and author. Working exclusively in short films, he has produced almost forty works since 1937, nine of which have been grouped together as the "Magick Lantern Cycle". His films variously merge surrealism with homoeroticism and the occult, and have been described as containing "elements of erotica, documentary, psychodrama, and spectacle". Anger himself has been described as "one of America's first openly gay filmmakers, and certainly the first whose work addressed homosexuality in an undisguised, self-implicating manner", and his "role in rendering gay culture visible within American cinema, commercial or otherwise, is impossible to overestimate", with several being released prior to the legalization of homosexual acts between consenting adults in the United States. He has also focused upon occult themes in many of his films, being fascinated by the English gnostic mage and poet Aleister Crowley, and is an adherent of Thelema, the religion Crowley founded.
Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Hollis Frampton Collection, 1963-2001 Harvard Film Archive, Fine Arts Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
referencedIn Bradley mss., 1902-1997 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
referencedIn Film stills collection, [ca. 1920-1970], [ca. 1960-1970] (bulk). New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Howard P. Lovecraft collection, Lovecraft (Howard P.) collection, 1894-1971 John Hay Library, Special Collections
referencedIn Anger, Kenneth. Artist file : miscellaneous uncataloged material. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
referencedIn Lothar and Eva Just Film Stills Collection. Harvard Film Archive, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
referencedIn Wodening, Jane, 1936-. Jane Wodening and Stan Brakhage scrapbooks, 1958-1967. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Weinberg, Herman G. Papers, 1926-1983. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Duncan, Robert Edward, 1919-. Structure of Rime XXVI (Passages 20) for Kenneth Anger : ms. S. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Jimmy De Sana Papers, Bulk, 1977-1990, 1954-1997 Fales Library & Special Collections
referencedIn Biographical files, [ca. 1920-1985], [ca. 1960-1970] (bulk) New York State Historical Documents Inventory
contributorOf 1907-1983. Papers. Series I. Correspondence Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
referencedIn Willie Varela Papers, ca. 1960-1995 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
contributorOf Getty Research Institute. Recordings of Modern art in Los Angeles [multimedia] : Beat film, 2003. Getty Research Institute
referencedIn William S. Burroughs papers, 1951-1972, 1958-1972 The New York Public Library. Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature.
referencedIn Anger, Kenneth. Kenneth Anger artist file. Whitney Museum of American Art, Library
referencedIn Canyon Cinema Records, ca. 1961-2009 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Anthology Film Archives. corporateBody
associatedWith Burroughs, William S., 1914-1997 person
associatedWith Burroughs, William S., 1914-1997. person
Cameron, Marjorie, 1922-1995 person
associatedWith Crowley, Aleister, 1875-1947 person
correspondedWith David Shedd Bradley person
associatedWith De Sana, Jimmy person
associatedWith Duncan, Robert Edward, 1919- person
associatedWith Faller, Marion, 1941- person
associatedWith Faller, Marion, 1941- person
associatedWith Frampton, Hollis, 1936-1984 person
associatedWith Frampton, Hollis, 1936-1984 person
associatedWith Kinsey, Alfred C. (Alfred Charles), 1894-1956 person
associatedWith Lovecraft, H. P. (Howard Phillips), 1890-1937 person
associatedWith Swanson, Gloria. person
associatedWith Varela, Willie. person
associatedWith Varela, Willie. person
associatedWith Weinberg, Herman G. person
associatedWith Whitney Museum of American Art. corporateBody
associatedWith Wodening, Jane, 1936- person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Counterculture
Experimental films
Homosexuality and art
Homosexuality in art
Occultism
Satanism
Occupation
Filmmaker
Occultists
Activity

Person

Birth 1927-02-03

Americans

English

Information

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SNAC ID: 84219640