Owen Land

Owen Land, born George Landow in 1944, was a multifaceted artist whose talents spanned painting, writing, photography, and experimental filmmaking until his passing on June 8, 2011. After releasing his notable film "On the Marriage Broker Joke..." in 1977, he chose to adopt the name Owen Land, an anagram of "Landow N.E.," while also using pseudonyms like Orphan Morphan and Apollo Jize throughout his career.

Land's early forays into filmmaking began in his teenage years, and by the 1960s and 1970s, he became a prominent figure in the "structural film" movement. Film historian Mark Webber noted that Land's work is distinguished by its clever use of wordplay and humor, setting him apart from the often dry nature of avant-garde cinema. Influenced by literary giants such as James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, and Eugène Ionesco, Land's films often serve as sharp parodies of the experimental genre while still engaging broader audiences.

His book "Two Films By Owen Land," published by Lux in London, compiles the complete scripts of "Wide Angle Saxon" and "On the Marriage Broker Joke," along with insightful footnotes that explore various references within the films. In May 2011, shortly before his death, "Dialogues - a film by Owen Land" was released by Paraguay Press in Paris, featuring the script of his final film alongside two revealing interviews with the artist.