Rat Catching
Encyclopedia
Rat Catching is a book by actor/filmmaker Crispin Glover
. The book is a form of collage
, reworked from Studies in the Art of Rat Catching, a 1896 non-fiction book now in the public domain
. Pictures from the book, as well as the book itself, were shown in the opening credits
of the 2003
film
, Willard
, starring Crispin Glover. The book also forms one segment of Glover's live slide show readings which are performed during particular screenings of his self-financed films What Is It?
and It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine..
of particular texts with ink and drawing along with the inclusion of imagery from various other sources that, while retaining some of the original context, forms its own particular narrative resulting in either humorously surreal or disturbing results.
Crispin Glover
Crispin Hellion Glover is an American film actor, director and screenwriter, recording artist, publisher, and author. Glover is known for portraying eccentric people on screen such as George McFly in Back to the Future, Layne in River's Edge, unfriendly recluse Rubin Farr in Rubin and Ed, the...
. The book is a form of collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
, reworked from Studies in the Art of Rat Catching, a 1896 non-fiction book now in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
. Pictures from the book, as well as the book itself, were shown in the opening credits
Opening credits
In a motion picture, television program, or video game, the opening credits are shown at the very beginning and list the most important members of the production. They are now usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show. There...
of the 2003
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Willard
Willard (2003 film)
Willard is a 2003 horror film loosely based on the novel Ratman's Notebooks by Stephen Gilbert and a remake of the 1971 film of the same name...
, starring Crispin Glover. The book also forms one segment of Glover's live slide show readings which are performed during particular screenings of his self-financed films What Is It?
What Is It?
What Is It? is the name of a 2005 dramatic film written, starring, funded and directed by Crispin Hellion Glover. It is described by IMDb as "The adventures of a young man whose principal interests are snails, salt, a pipe, and how to get home...
and It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine..
Overview
The original book, Studies in the Art of Rat Catching, by Henry C. Barkley, was written primarily as an informative guide for students within the English Public School system with the intention of educating those particular pupils about the practicalites and methods regarding vermin control during the late 19th Century. However, the modified version of Glover's Rat Catching alters the original and intended meaning into a somewhat fragmented collection of words and sentences by means of obfuscationObfuscation
Obfuscation is the hiding of intended meaning in communication, making communication confusing, wilfully ambiguous, and harder to interpret.- Background :Obfuscation may be used for many purposes...
of particular texts with ink and drawing along with the inclusion of imagery from various other sources that, while retaining some of the original context, forms its own particular narrative resulting in either humorously surreal or disturbing results.
See also
- Rat-catcherRat-catcherRat-catching is the occupation of catching rats as a form of pest control. In developed countries the role may be merged with, or the title inflated to, Pest Control Operative or Pest Technician....
- AppropriationAppropriation (art)Appropriation is a fundamental aspect in the history of the arts . Appropriation can be understood as "the use of borrowed elements in the creation of a new work."...
- CollageCollageA collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
- Found artFound artThe term found art—more commonly found object or readymade—describes art created from undisguised, but often modified, objects that are not normally considered art, often because they already have a non-art function...
- Public domainPublic domainWorks are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
- Crispin GloverCrispin GloverCrispin Hellion Glover is an American film actor, director and screenwriter, recording artist, publisher, and author. Glover is known for portraying eccentric people on screen such as George McFly in Back to the Future, Layne in River's Edge, unfriendly recluse Rubin Farr in Rubin and Ed, the...