P. Adams Sitney, an influential avant-garde film historian, died on June 8, aged 80, from metastatic cancer. He co-founded New York's Anthology Film Archives and coined the term "structuralism" to describe minimalist experimental films from the 1960s. Known for his clear writing and critical stance against academic trends, Sitney's contributions have shaped the discourse on experimental cinema. Born in 1944, his passion for film started as a teenager and he later established a film society and newsletter while studying at Yale, balancing academics with activism during the Vietnam War.
A cofounder of New York's Anthology Film Archives, Sitney coined the term "structuralism" to identify the minimalist, formalist experimental film that arose in the 1960s, writing extensively about the form in a manner that was as clear and straightforward as his stated disdain for prestigious prizes.
In a field dominated by academic pedants, Sitney is a rarity, an art critic of the old school, cheerfully dismissive of scholarly fads and preoccupations.
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