ABSTRACT
Ericka Beckman is an artist and filmmaker whose work, since the 1970s, has explored rules and social codes as they are encoded not only in human behavior, but also structures such as games, architecture, and fairytales. This chapter includes an interview with Beckman originally published in The Independent Film & Video Monthly in 1981, along with an original interview with Beckman from 2018. Her films—from Super 8mm films to virtual reality projects—are formally characterized by her consistent use of primary colors, geometric shapes, and the black box. This chapter investigates the reception of her work over time, such as You the Better (1983), Cinderella (1985), and Hiatus (1999/2015), as well the evolution of her conceptual interests alongside developments in both gender equality and technology. It also investigates Beckman’s relationship as a woman and experimental filmmaker to both the art world and the world of film.
