Kenneth Anger, the American experimental filmmaker, author and artist who was a pioneer in gay cinema, has died aged 96.
A statement confirming Anger’s death from the Sprueth Magers art gallery that exhibited his work around the world described him as “a trailblazer. His cinematic genius will continue to influence all those who come into contact with his films, words, and vision. His early works included the 1947 black-and-white short
Fireworks
and his standing in the underground US film scene grew with the release of 1954’s Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome, 1969’sInvocation of my Demon Brotherand 1972’s Lucifer Rising , films that drew on his involvement in occultism and used techniques like double exposure, found footage and celluloid manipulation. He was also known for the book Hollywood Babel which was first published in 1959 and described the sex life and deaths of Hollywood celebrities. A second volume was released in 1984.
Recognised later in the mainstream film world, Anger won awards including an Outfest Achievement Award in 2006, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s Independent/Experimental Film and Video Award in 2002 and the American Film Institute’s Maya Deren Independent Film and Video Artists Award in 1996.
