Robert Cowan
Born Toronto Canada 1930
Graduate - Ontario College of Art
Studied Painting for one year in Paris, France and under Hans Hoffman in New York.
Studied Still Photography in New York under Dr. Albert Freed.

Lived in New York for about 34 years returned to Canada 2 years ago.

Involved in New York with the "Underground" and "Experimental" film scene from its early beginnings under Jonas Mekas up to the present. Elected to the Board of Directors for 2 years of the New York Filmmakers Co-Op. Wrote a Regular Column on the "Experimental" Film Scene for Canadian Film Magazine "Take One" for many years. Have made 19 films to date. Seven of them made on Canada Council Grants. Received an additional film grant in 1988.

My films are distributed through the "Filmmakers Co-Op" in New York and the Film-makers Distribution Centre in Toronto.

Five films purchased for distribution by the Brooklyn Public Library and one by the Toronto Public Library. One film sold to Brooklyn College, York University (Toronto) and German TV.

Have won festival awards at Yale, Bellevue, Kent State, Ann Arbor, etc.

Retrospective Show at San Francisco Art Institute in 1972. Two film shown on Cable TV (New York).

"Earth Song" purchased by the National Gallery in Ottawa (1974).

Shows at "Millennium Film Workshop" (New York); "Filmmaker's Cinematheque (New York); Cinema Parallele (Montreal); The Funnel (Toronto).

Represented in 2 Mini-festival tours of European Festivals plus Canada Trajectoires 73 at the Museum of Modern Art, Paris, France.

Worked on Other Filmmakers' Films, doing collage-like sound tracks (Charles Levine, Mike and George Kuchar, etc.), performed in many independent films -- George Kuchar, Mike Kuchar, Ken Jacobs, Mike Snow, Bob Fleischner. Also worked with Walter Gutman as Assistant Cameraman and worked for many years at the New York Cinematheque and Millennium Film Workshop as Projectionist.

I have been pursuing my artwork (scratchboard, painting, etc) and my electronic music composing along with my filmmaking. I recently had a half hour broadcast of my compositions played on CKLN FM in Toronto.

At the present time I am shooting a series of "Diary" videos on my return to Toronto.

My film "Night Streamers" shown at the "Festival of Festivals" in Toronto (1987).

Artist Code: 370