Chris Cunningham
Encyclopedia
Chris Cunningham is an English
music video
film director
and video artist. He was born in Reading, Berkshire
in 1970 and grew up in Lakenheath
, Suffolk
.
The video collection The Work of Director Chris Cunningham was released in November 2004 as part of the Directors Label
set. This DVD includes selected highlights from 1995–2000.
, Stanley Kubrick
head-hunted Cunningham to design and supervise animatronic tests of the central robot child character in his version of the film A.I.
Cunningham worked for over a year on the film A.I.
, before leaving to pursue a career as a director.
Earlier work in film included model making, prosthetic make-up and concept illustrations for Hardware and Dust Devil
with director Richard Stanley, as well as Nightbreed
. In 1990–1992 he contributed the occasional cover painting and strip for Judge Dredd Megazine
, working under the pseudonym Chris Halls, the surname of his stepfather.
since his first production for Autechre
. Videos for Aphex Twin
's "Come to Daddy
" and "Windowlicker
" are perhaps his best known. His video for Björk
's "All Is Full of Love
" won multiple awards, including an MTV
music video award for Breakthrough Video and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video. It was also the first ever music video to win a Gold Pencil at the D&AD
Awards. It can still be seen at the Museum of Modern Art
in New York. His video for Aphex Twin
's "Windowlicker
" was nominated for the "Best Video" award at the Brit Awards 2000. He also directed Madonna
's "Frozen
" video which became an international hit and won the award for Best Special Effects at the 1998 MTV Music Video Awards.
was first shown in 2000 at the Royal Academy of Arts, and subsequently at the Anthony d'Offay
Gallery and other art galleries. Flex was commissioned by the Anthony d'Offay
Gallery for the Apocalypse: Beauty & Horror in Contemporary Art exhibition curated by Norman Rosenthal
and Max Wigram at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2000.
The Anthony d'Offay Gallery also commissioned Monkey Drummer
, a 2½ minute piece intended for exhibition as a companion to Flex at the 2000 Apocalypse exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, however the piece was not finished in time. In it an automaton
with nine appendages and the head of a monkey plays the drums to "Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michaels Mount", the 10th track on Aphex Twin
's 2001 album drukqs
. Monkey Drummer debuted as part of Cunningham's installation at the 49th International Exhibition of Art at the 2001 Venice Biennale
, which consisted of a loop of Monkey Drummer, Flex, and his video for Björk
's "All Is Full of Love
".
In 2007, an excerpt from Flex was shown in the Barbican
's exhibition Seduced: Art and Sex from Antiquity to Now curated by Martin Kemp
, Marina Wallace and Joanne Bernstein. alongside other pieces by Bacon
, Klimt, Rembrandt, Rodin
and Picasso.
as a DVD accompanied by a book of photographs and drawings. Rubber Johnny, a six-minute experimental short film cut to a soundtrack by Aphex Twin
, remixed by Cunningham was shot between 2001 and 2004. Shot on DV night-vision, it was made in Cunningham's own time as a home movie of sorts, and took three and half years of weekends to complete. The Telegraph
called it "like a Looney Tunes short for a generation raised on video nasties and rave music".
During this period Cunningham also made another short film for Warp Films
, Spectral Musicians, which remains unreleased. The short film was edited to music by Squarepusher
, My Fucking Sound, from the album Go Plastic
and a piece called Mutilation Colony, which was written especially for the short and was released on the EP Do You Know Squarepusher
.
, PlayStation
, Levis
, Telecom Italia
, Nissan and Orange.
In December 2007 Cunningham produced two tracks, "Three Decades" and "Primary Colours", for Primary Colours
, the second album by The Horrors
. In the summer of 2008, due to scheduling conflicts with his feature film script writing he couldn't work on the rest of the album which was subsequently recorded by Geoff Barrow
from Portishead.
In 2008, he produced and arranged a new version of 'I Feel Love' for the Gucci
commercial that he also directed. He travelled to Nashville to work with Donna Summer
to record a brand new vocal for it.
's "All Is Full of Love
", Aphex Twin
's "Windowlicker
" and "Come to Daddy
".
In 2008, Cunningham produced a fashion shoot for Dazed & Confused
using Grace Jones
as a model to create "Nubian versions" of Rubber Johnny. In an interview for BBC's "The Culture Show", it was suggested that the collaboration may expand into a video project.
In November 2008, Cunningham followed on with another photoshoot for Vice Magazine.
began work on the script for Gibson's 1984 novel Neuromancer
. However, because Neuromancer was due to be a big budget studio film, it is rumoured that Cunningham pulled out due to being a first time director without final cut approval. He also felt that too much of the original book's ideas had been cannibalised by other recent films.
On November 18, 2004, in the FAQ on the William Gibson Board, Gibson was asked:
In an August 1999 Spike Magazine
interview, Gibson stated "He (Chris) was brought to my attention by someone else. We were told, third-hand, that he was extremely chary of the Hollywood process, and wouldn't return calls. But someone else told us that Neuromancer had been his Wind In The Willows, that he'd read it when he was a kid. I went to London and we met." Gibson is also quoted in the article as saying "Chris is my own 100 per cent personal choice...My only choice. The only person I've met who I thought might have a hope in hell of doing it right. I went back to see him in London just after he'd finished the Bjork video, and I sat on a couch beside this dead sex little Bjork robot, except it was wearing Aphex Twin's head. We talked."
It is rumoured that the character of Damien Pease in Gibson's 2003 novel Pattern Recognition
was based on Cunningham, with the character's apartment featuring a female robot which had appeared in one of Cunningham's videos.
Development funding was in place for Cunningham to direct and co-write his first feature film for Warp Films
, to whom he was at the time committed "for all future full-length film projects." He has since left Warp Films to set up his own production company 'CC Co' to produce his films independently.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and video artist. He was born in Reading, Berkshire
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in 1970 and grew up in Lakenheath
Lakenheath
Lakenheath is a village in Suffolk, England. It has around 8,200 residents, and is situated in the Forest Heath district of Suffolk, close to the county boundaries of both Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, and at the meeting point of the The Fens and the Breckland natural environments.Lakenheath is host...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
.
The video collection The Work of Director Chris Cunningham was released in November 2004 as part of the Directors Label
Directors Label
Directors Label is a series of DVDs devoted to notable music video directors. First released in 2003 by Palm Pictures, the series was created by Spike Jonze, Chris Cunningham, and Michel Gondry, the subjects of the first three volumes. Four new volumes were released in 2005, this time featuring...
set. This DVD includes selected highlights from 1995–2000.
Early work
After seeing Cunningham's work on the 1994 film version of Judge DreddJudge Dredd (film)
Judge Dredd is a 1995 American science fiction action film directed by Danny Cannon, and starring Sylvester Stallone, Diane Lane, Rob Schneider, Armand Assante, and Max von Sydow. The film is based on the strip of the same name in the British comic 2000 AD...
, Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
head-hunted Cunningham to design and supervise animatronic tests of the central robot child character in his version of the film A.I.
A.I. (film)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence, also known as A.I., is a 2001 science fiction drama film directed, produced and co-written by Steven Spielberg. Based on Brian Aldiss' short story "Super-Toys Last All Summer Long", the film stars Haley Joel Osment, Frances O'Connor, Jude Law, Sam Robards, Jake Thomas...
Cunningham worked for over a year on the film A.I.
A.I. (film)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence, also known as A.I., is a 2001 science fiction drama film directed, produced and co-written by Steven Spielberg. Based on Brian Aldiss' short story "Super-Toys Last All Summer Long", the film stars Haley Joel Osment, Frances O'Connor, Jude Law, Sam Robards, Jake Thomas...
, before leaving to pursue a career as a director.
Earlier work in film included model making, prosthetic make-up and concept illustrations for Hardware and Dust Devil
Dust Devil (1993 film)
Dust Devil is a 1993 horror film written and directed by Richard Stanley. The film was described as being like "Tarkovsky on acid" by Steve Beard of The Face.-Plot:...
with director Richard Stanley, as well as Nightbreed
Nightbreed
Nightbreed is a 1990 American fantasy horror film written and directed by Clive Barker, based on his 1988 novella Cabal. The film features Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby and David Cronenberg. The story centers in a community of mutant outcasts that hides from humanity, known as the...
. In 1990–1992 he contributed the occasional cover painting and strip for Judge Dredd Megazine
Judge Dredd Megazine
Judge Dredd: The Megazine is a monthly British comic magazine, launched in October 1990. It is a sister publication to 2000 AD. Its name is a play on words, formed from "magazine" and Dredd's locale Mega-City One.-Content:...
, working under the pseudonym Chris Halls, the surname of his stepfather.
Music videos
Cunningham has had close ties to Warp RecordsWarp Records
Warp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
since his first production for Autechre
Autechre
Autechre are an English electronic music duo consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth, both natives of Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1987, they are one of the most prominent acts signed to Warp Records, a label known for its pioneering electronic music and through which all Autechre albums...
. Videos for Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
's "Come to Daddy
Come to Daddy
Come to Daddy is a 1997 EP by electronic music artist Richard D. James, commonly known as Aphex Twin. "Come to Daddy [Pappy Mix]" — often simply called "Come to Daddy" — is one of Aphex Twin's best-known songs; it peaked at #36 on the UK Singles Chart...
" and "Windowlicker
Windowlicker
"Windowlicker" is a song by British electronic music artist Richard D. James , released as a single in 1999 on Warp Records. The single peaked at #16 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming his highest-charting song on the chart...
" are perhaps his best known. His video for Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
's "All Is Full of Love
All Is Full of Love
"All Is Full of Love" is a song by Björk, released as the fifth and final single from her album Homogenic. The version of the song used in the video is actually the original version of the song, while the version on Homogenic is a remix by Howie B...
" won multiple awards, including an MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
music video award for Breakthrough Video and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video. It was also the first ever music video to win a Gold Pencil at the D&AD
D&AD
Design and Art Direction is a British educational charity which exists to promote excellence in design and advertising...
Awards. It can still be seen at the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York. His video for Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
's "Windowlicker
Windowlicker
"Windowlicker" is a song by British electronic music artist Richard D. James , released as a single in 1999 on Warp Records. The single peaked at #16 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming his highest-charting song on the chart...
" was nominated for the "Best Video" award at the Brit Awards 2000. He also directed Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's "Frozen
Frozen (song)
"Frozen" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her eight studio album Ray of Light. It was released as the lead single from the album on 23 February 1998 by Maverick Records...
" video which became an international hit and won the award for Best Special Effects at the 1998 MTV Music Video Awards.
Video art
His video installation FlexFlex (film)
Flex is a 2000 video installation by the British video artist Chris Cunningham. It consists of a 15 minute film loop that endlessly depicts a naked man and woman floating in darkness, who by turns embrace and furiously beat one another, culminating in an act of anal sex during which they disappear...
was first shown in 2000 at the Royal Academy of Arts, and subsequently at the Anthony d'Offay
Anthony d'Offay
Anthony d'Offay is a British art dealer, he closed his gallery - Anthony d’Offay Gallery - in 2002.-Life and career:...
Gallery and other art galleries. Flex was commissioned by the Anthony d'Offay
Anthony d'Offay
Anthony d'Offay is a British art dealer, he closed his gallery - Anthony d’Offay Gallery - in 2002.-Life and career:...
Gallery for the Apocalypse: Beauty & Horror in Contemporary Art exhibition curated by Norman Rosenthal
Norman Rosenthal
Sir Norman Rosenthal is a British curator. He was Exhibitions Secretary at the Royal Academy from 1977 until 2008. His encyclopedic programme of exhibitions which stretched from Egyptian antiquities to recent art production, included the exhibition of Charles Saatchi's collection of contemporary...
and Max Wigram at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2000.
The Anthony d'Offay Gallery also commissioned Monkey Drummer
Monkey Drummer
Monkey Drummer is a 2.5 minute long music video created by acclaimed British music video director Chris Cunningham in 2001. The video was commissioned by the Anthony d'Offay Gallery in London and was meant to be a companion piece to his Flex commercial, but it wasn't completed in time for the...
, a 2½ minute piece intended for exhibition as a companion to Flex at the 2000 Apocalypse exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, however the piece was not finished in time. In it an automaton
Automaton
An automaton is a self-operating machine. The word is sometimes used to describe a robot, more specifically an autonomous robot. An alternative spelling, now obsolete, is automation.-Etymology:...
with nine appendages and the head of a monkey plays the drums to "Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michaels Mount", the 10th track on Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
's 2001 album drukqs
Drukqs
Drukqs is a 2001 double album by electronic musician Richard D. James, released under his most frequently used pseudonym, Aphex Twin...
. Monkey Drummer debuted as part of Cunningham's installation at the 49th International Exhibition of Art at the 2001 Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
, which consisted of a loop of Monkey Drummer, Flex, and his video for Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
's "All Is Full of Love
All Is Full of Love
"All Is Full of Love" is a song by Björk, released as the fifth and final single from her album Homogenic. The version of the song used in the video is actually the original version of the song, while the version on Homogenic is a remix by Howie B...
".
In 2007, an excerpt from Flex was shown in the Barbican
Barbican
A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from...
's exhibition Seduced: Art and Sex from Antiquity to Now curated by Martin Kemp
Martin Kemp (art historian)
Martin Kemp is Emeritus Research Professor in the History of Art at Oxford University. He has written and broadcast extensively on imagery in art and science from the Renaissance to the present day...
, Marina Wallace and Joanne Bernstein. alongside other pieces by Bacon
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
, Klimt, Rembrandt, Rodin
Rodin
- People :* Auguste Rodin , French sculptor, for whom is named:** The Musée Rodin in Paris, France** The Rodin Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA** The Rodin Gallery in Seoul, South Korea** Rodin , a crater on the Moon...
and Picasso.
Short films
In 2005, Cunningham released the short film Rubber JohnnyRubber Johnny
Rubber Johnny is a six-minute experimental short film and music video directed by Chris Cunningham in 2005, using music composed by Aphex Twin. The name Rubber Johnny is drawn from a British slang for "condom" as well as a description of the main character, which explains the title sequence...
as a DVD accompanied by a book of photographs and drawings. Rubber Johnny, a six-minute experimental short film cut to a soundtrack by Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
, remixed by Cunningham was shot between 2001 and 2004. Shot on DV night-vision, it was made in Cunningham's own time as a home movie of sorts, and took three and half years of weekends to complete. The Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
called it "like a Looney Tunes short for a generation raised on video nasties and rave music".
During this period Cunningham also made another short film for Warp Films
Warp Films
Warp is one of the foremost and most respected creative independent companies, now composed of Warp Records, Warp Films and Warp Music Videos & Commercials. It is based in London, England and Sheffield, with a further office now in Melbourne, Australia...
, Spectral Musicians, which remains unreleased. The short film was edited to music by Squarepusher
Squarepusher
Squarepusher is the performing pseudonym of Tom Jenkinson, an English electronic music artist signed to Warp Records. He specialises in the electronic music genres of drum and bass and acid, with a significant jazz and musique concrète influence....
, My Fucking Sound, from the album Go Plastic
Go Plastic
Go Plastic is an electronic music album by Squarepusher. The album was preceded by the single "My Red Hot Car".The album shows a marked increase in musical complexity over its predecessor, Selection Sixteen, featuring a more open-ended, less structured approach to composition which was explored...
and a piece called Mutilation Colony, which was written especially for the short and was released on the EP Do You Know Squarepusher
Do You Know Squarepusher
Do You Know Squarepusher is a 2002 album by Squarepusher. The title track had previously been released, in late 2001, as an untitled 12". The album was almost entirely digitally produced, with the exception of the last track, a cover of Joy Division's single "Love Will Tear Us Apart"...
.
Commercials
Cunningham has directed a handful of commercials for companies including GucciGucci
The House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci , is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR...
, PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
, Levis
Levis
-People:*François de Gaston, Chevalier de Lévis , French soldier best known for his command in Canada in 1760*George Levis , American college basketball player and coach*Georges Lévis , French adult comic artist-Places:Canada...
, Telecom Italia
Telecom Italia
Telecom Italia is the largest Italian telecommunications company, also active in the media and manufacturing industries. Now a private concern listed on the Borsa Italiana, it was founded in 1994 by the merger of several state-owned telecommunications companies, the most important of which was...
, Nissan and Orange.
Music production
In 2004/2005, Cunningham took a sabbatical from filmmaking to learn about music production and recording and to develop his own music projects.In December 2007 Cunningham produced two tracks, "Three Decades" and "Primary Colours", for Primary Colours
Primary Colours (album)
Primary Colours is the second studio album by British post-punk revival band The Horrors. It was released in the US on 21 April 2009, and in the UK on 4 May 2009 by XL Recordings. The album charted on the UK Albums Chart at #25. According to aggregating website Metacritic, the record was met with...
, the second album by The Horrors
The Horrors
The Horrors are an English band from Southend on Sea, formed in 2005. Their debut Strange House, was released in 2007 and reached number thirty-seven on the UK Albums Chart, their second album Primary Colours was released in 2009 and peaked at number 25 in the UK...
. In the summer of 2008, due to scheduling conflicts with his feature film script writing he couldn't work on the rest of the album which was subsequently recorded by Geoff Barrow
Geoff Barrow
Geoffrey Paul Barrow is the producer, disc jockey, and instrumentalist for Portishead.Portishead—formed in 1991—was named after the small town near Bristol where Barrow grew up...
from Portishead.
In 2008, he produced and arranged a new version of 'I Feel Love' for the Gucci
Gucci
The House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci , is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR...
commercial that he also directed. He travelled to Nashville to work with Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
to record a brand new vocal for it.
Chris Cunningham Live
In 2005, Cunningham played a 45 minute audio visual piece performed live in Tokyo and Osaka in front of 30,000+ fans over the two nights at Japan’s premier electronic music event Electraglide. These performances evolved into Chris Cunningham Live, a 55 minute long performance piece combining original and remixed music and film. It features remixed, unreleased and brand new videos and music dynamically edited together into a new live piece spread over three screens. The sound accompanying these images includes Cunningham’s first publicly performed compositions interspersed with his remixes of other artist’s work. Chris Cunningham Live debuted as one of the headline attractions at Warp 20 in Paris on May 8, 2009 with other performances scheduled at festivals in UK, and a number of European cities later in the year.Photography
Cunningham has created photography and cover artwork for various people including BjorkBjörk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
's "All Is Full of Love
All Is Full of Love
"All Is Full of Love" is a song by Björk, released as the fifth and final single from her album Homogenic. The version of the song used in the video is actually the original version of the song, while the version on Homogenic is a remix by Howie B...
", Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
's "Windowlicker
Windowlicker
"Windowlicker" is a song by British electronic music artist Richard D. James , released as a single in 1999 on Warp Records. The single peaked at #16 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming his highest-charting song on the chart...
" and "Come to Daddy
Come to Daddy
Come to Daddy is a 1997 EP by electronic music artist Richard D. James, commonly known as Aphex Twin. "Come to Daddy [Pappy Mix]" — often simply called "Come to Daddy" — is one of Aphex Twin's best-known songs; it peaked at #36 on the UK Singles Chart...
".
In 2008, Cunningham produced a fashion shoot for Dazed & Confused
Dazed & Confused (magazine)
Dazed & Confused is a British style magazine, that was set up in 1992 and published monthly. Its founding editors were Jefferson Hack and Rankin...
using Grace Jones
Grace Jones
Grace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model and actress.Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits. In the late 1970s, she adapted the emerging electronic music style and adopted a severe, androgynous look with square-cut hair and...
as a model to create "Nubian versions" of Rubber Johnny. In an interview for BBC's "The Culture Show", it was suggested that the collaboration may expand into a video project.
In November 2008, Cunningham followed on with another photoshoot for Vice Magazine.
Neuromancer
In 2000, Cunningham and cyberpunk author William GibsonWilliam Gibson
William Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:-Association football:*Will Gibson , Scottish footballer...
began work on the script for Gibson's 1984 novel Neuromancer
Neuromancer
Neuromancer is a 1984 novel by William Gibson, a seminal work in the cyberpunk genre and the first winner of the science-fiction "triple crown" — the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Hugo Award. It was Gibson's debut novel and the beginning of the Sprawl trilogy...
. However, because Neuromancer was due to be a big budget studio film, it is rumoured that Cunningham pulled out due to being a first time director without final cut approval. He also felt that too much of the original book's ideas had been cannibalised by other recent films.
On November 18, 2004, in the FAQ on the William Gibson Board, Gibson was asked:
In an August 1999 Spike Magazine
Spike Magazine
Spike Magazine is an internet cultural journal which began in 1996, founded by its editor Chris Mitchell in Brighton, England. Updated monthly, its motto is "picking the brains of popular culture", though it has an intellectual inclination.-Description:...
interview, Gibson stated "He (Chris) was brought to my attention by someone else. We were told, third-hand, that he was extremely chary of the Hollywood process, and wouldn't return calls. But someone else told us that Neuromancer had been his Wind In The Willows, that he'd read it when he was a kid. I went to London and we met." Gibson is also quoted in the article as saying "Chris is my own 100 per cent personal choice...My only choice. The only person I've met who I thought might have a hope in hell of doing it right. I went back to see him in London just after he'd finished the Bjork video, and I sat on a couch beside this dead sex little Bjork robot, except it was wearing Aphex Twin's head. We talked."
It is rumoured that the character of Damien Pease in Gibson's 2003 novel Pattern Recognition
Pattern Recognition (novel)
Pattern Recognition is a novel by science fiction writer William Gibson published in 2003. Set in August and September 2002, the story follows Cayce Pollard, a 32-year-old marketing consultant who has a psychological sensitivity to corporate symbols...
was based on Cunningham, with the character's apartment featuring a female robot which had appeared in one of Cunningham's videos.
Development funding was in place for Cunningham to direct and co-write his first feature film for Warp Films
Warp Films
Warp is one of the foremost and most respected creative independent companies, now composed of Warp Records, Warp Films and Warp Music Videos & Commercials. It is based in London, England and Sheffield, with a further office now in Melbourne, Australia...
, to whom he was at the time committed "for all future full-length film projects." He has since left Warp Films to set up his own production company 'CC Co' to produce his films independently.
Videography
- "Second Bad Vilbel" (1996) video for AutechreAutechreAutechre are an English electronic music duo consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth, both natives of Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1987, they are one of the most prominent acts signed to Warp Records, a label known for its pioneering electronic music and through which all Autechre albums...
- "Back With The Killer Again" (1996) video for The AuteursThe AuteursThe Auteurs were a British alternative rock band of the 1990s, and a vehicle for the songwriting talents of Luke Haines .-Career:...
- "Light Aircraft on FireLight Aircraft on Fire"Light Aircraft on Fire" is a song and single by The Auteurs.-Tracklist:# "Light Aircraft on Fire"# "Buddha"# "Car Crash"# "X-Boogie Man"# "Buddha versus the X-Boogie Man"# "Madden on the Moon"...
" (1996) video for The AuteursThe AuteursThe Auteurs were a British alternative rock band of the 1990s, and a vehicle for the songwriting talents of Luke Haines .-Career:... - "Another Day" (1996) video for LodestarLodestar (band)Lodestar was an experimental progressive band formed in 1996 by Heitham Al-Sayed , John Morgan and "Haggis" after they left Senser. They were joined by a fourth member, Jules Hodgson . Lodestar were signed to Ultimate Records where they released their album Lodestar in 1996...
- "Space Junkie" (1996) video for Holy Barbarians
- "36 Degrees36 Degrees"36 Degrees" is a song by British alternative rock band Placebo, released as the third single from their eponymous debut album. It reached number eighty in the UK Singles Chart.-Song meaning:...
" (1996) video for PlaceboPlacebo (band)Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and... - "Personally" (1997) video for 12 Rounds12 Rounds12 Rounds is a British rock band formed by Atticus Ross and singer Claudia Sarne, who are married. After the release of their first album, Jitter Juice, they toured with the Sneaker Pimps. 12 Rounds played the Reading Festival in 1996...
- "Jesus Coming in for the Kill" (1997) video for Lifes Addiction
- "The Next Big Thing" (1997) video for Jesus JonesJesus JonesJesus Jones are a British rock band. The Wiltshire-based group, formed in late 1988, recorded and performed in the late 1980s, throughout the 1990s, and into the 2000s. They are best remembered for their track, "Right Here, Right Now", an international hit and subsequently globally appropriated for...
- "Tranquillizer" (1997) video for GenevaGeneva (band)Geneva were a British indie band from Aberdeen, Scotland.-Career:The band were formed in 1992 by vocalist Andrew Montgomery and guitarist Steven Dora. They recruited second guitarist Stuart Evans, bass player Keith Graham and finally drummer Craig Brown. Craig was later replaced by Douglas Caskie...
- "No More Talk" (1997) video for DubstarDubstarDubstar are an English band, performing mostly dream pop and indie dance music, as well as occasional pop ballads and, on later releases, guitar-heavy rock with an industrial influence. The group was formed in 1992 by Steve Hillier and Chris Wilkie in Newcastle-upon-Tyne...
- "Something To Say" (1997) video for JocastaJocasta (band)Jocasta were a Britpop band formed in London in 1994. They had two minor hit singles and released one album before splitting up in the late 1990s.-History:...
- "Come To DaddyCome to DaddyCome to Daddy is a 1997 EP by electronic music artist Richard D. James, commonly known as Aphex Twin. "Come to Daddy [Pappy Mix]" — often simply called "Come to Daddy" — is one of Aphex Twin's best-known songs; it peaked at #36 on the UK Singles Chart...
" (1997) video for Aphex TwinAphex TwinRichard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"... - "Only YouOnly You (Portishead song)"Only You" is a single by Portishead, released in 1998. It was later released in a promotional French language lyrics version.The video to "Only You" was directed by Chris Cunningham, who has also worked with Aphex Twin, Bjork, and Placebo. It involved Beth Gibbons floating in air, and a young boy...
" (1998) video for Portishead - "FrozenFrozen (song)"Frozen" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her eight studio album Ray of Light. It was released as the lead single from the album on 23 February 1998 by Maverick Records...
" (1998) video for MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983... - "Come On My Selector" (1998) video for SquarepusherSquarepusherSquarepusher is the performing pseudonym of Tom Jenkinson, an English electronic music artist signed to Warp Records. He specialises in the electronic music genres of drum and bass and acid, with a significant jazz and musique concrète influence....
- "All Is Full of LoveAll Is Full of Love"All Is Full of Love" is a song by Björk, released as the fifth and final single from her album Homogenic. The version of the song used in the video is actually the original version of the song, while the version on Homogenic is a remix by Howie B...
" (1999) video for BjörkBjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk... - "WindowlickerWindowlicker"Windowlicker" is a song by British electronic music artist Richard D. James , released as a single in 1999 on Warp Records. The single peaked at #16 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming his highest-charting song on the chart...
" (1999) video for Aphex TwinAphex TwinRichard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"... - "Afrika ShoxAfrika Shox"Afrika Shox" is a song by Leftfield, the first single released from their album Rhythm and Stealth. The song featured vocals by Afrika Bambaataa. It was written by Neil Barnes, Paul Daley, Afrika Bambaataa and Nick Rapaccioli and produced by Leftfield and Nick Rapaccioli. It was released on CD and...
" (1999) video for LeftfieldLeftfieldLeftfield are a British duo of electronica artists and record producers, namely Paul Daley and Neil Barnes, who formed in 1990 in London, England...
and Afrika BambaataaAfrika BambaataaAfrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal... - "Mental Wealth" (1999) commercial for PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
- "FlexFlex (film)Flex is a 2000 video installation by the British video artist Chris Cunningham. It consists of a 15 minute film loop that endlessly depicts a naked man and woman floating in darkness, who by turns embrace and furiously beat one another, culminating in an act of anal sex during which they disappear...
" (2000), using sounds created by Aphex TwinAphex TwinRichard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"... - "Monkey DrummerMonkey DrummerMonkey Drummer is a 2.5 minute long music video created by acclaimed British music video director Chris Cunningham in 2001. The video was commissioned by the Anthony d'Offay Gallery in London and was meant to be a companion piece to his Flex commercial, but it wasn't completed in time for the...
" (2001), using "Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michaels mount" from Aphex TwinAphex TwinRichard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
's album DrukqsDrukqsDrukqs is a 2001 double album by electronic musician Richard D. James, released under his most frequently used pseudonym, Aphex Twin... - "Rubber JohnnyRubber JohnnyRubber Johnny is a six-minute experimental short film and music video directed by Chris Cunningham in 2005, using music composed by Aphex Twin. The name Rubber Johnny is drawn from a British slang for "condom" as well as a description of the main character, which explains the title sequence...
" (2005), using "Afx237 V7" from Aphex TwinAphex TwinRichard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
's album DrukqsDrukqsDrukqs is a 2001 double album by electronic musician Richard D. James, released under his most frequently used pseudonym, Aphex Twin... - "Sheena Is A ParasiteSheena Is a Parasite"Sheena is a Parasite" was the debut single by the UK band The Horrors, released in April, 2006. It did not chart as it contained both stickers and inserts, therefore breaking chart rules....
" (2006), video for The HorrorsThe HorrorsThe Horrors are an English band from Southend on Sea, formed in 2005. Their debut Strange House, was released in 2007 and reached number thirty-seven on the UK Albums Chart, their second album Primary Colours was released in 2009 and peaked at number 25 in the UK... - "Gucci Flora" (2009) commercial for GucciGucciThe House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci , is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR...
Perfume - "New York Is Killing MeI'm New HereI'm New Here is a departure from the rhythmic, jazz-funk and soul style of Scott-Heron's previous work, and embraces an acoustic and electronic minimal sound. Musically, I'm New Here incorporates blues, folk, trip hop, and electronica styles...
" (2010) video for Gil Scott-HeronGil Scott-HeronGilbert "Gil" Scott-Heron was an American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author known primarily for his work as a spoken word performer in the 1970s and '80s...
External links
- Music Video Database entry
- Director File - Chris Cunningham documents all of Chris' work
- DirectorsLabel.com - co-founded with Spike JonzeSpike JonzeSpike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...
and Michel GondryMichel GondryMichel Gondry is an Academy Award winning filmmaker, whose works include being a commercial director, music video director, and a screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène. - Life and career :... - 2000 AD profile
- 2005 interview
- Gucci Flora film
- Chris' official website