This film is made from found stereoscopic images of people frolicking on the beach in the early 1970s. Stark alternates on every frame between the original left and right images, creating a remarkable illusion of depth. Each image has one point which remains still; the elbow, finger, or beer can where the focal distance of the image is located. Everything either in front of or behind that plane vibrates rapidly back and forth; the further the distance, the further it vibrates. The film is designed to be projected at slower-than-normal 18fps, further accentuating the sense of breakdown from one image to two. When Stark alternates between two or three of these stereoscopic images, a powerful illusion of spinning and rushing through space is created.
This simple scheme recreates many of the sensations of binocular vision; such as when a shadow is seen by one eye but not the other. Combined with the saturated colors, this creates a bulging, richly voluminous sense of space. Considering that the original photographer of these images focussed exclusively on beautiful young women in bikinis, the total effect is that the perception of colors and forms in space is itself eroticized. The constant shaking of the images adds to the sense of a space come alive. The film is completely dominated by quivering busts and butts. “Angel Beach” is an exhilarating celebration of eyeballs aroused.
