Jody Lafond

Last Name: 
Lafond
First Name: 
Jody

Jody Lafond's internationally exhibited work includes experimental videos and activist documentaries; she received a 2001 NYSCA Media Grant and NYFA Video Fellowships in 1988 and 1992. Her work has shown at Art in General, NY Video Festival, the Images Film Festival and more.

VIDEO AND FILM WORKS A Road Picture 1985 6 min. Super8 transferred to Video A tale of the struggle to overcome the Buffalo blizzard of 1985 and then an adventurous escape to a "foreign country". Fruit-i-cide 1982 10 min. A slasher video about the gruesome and violent deaths of many innocent pieces of fruit. Eggs and Ham 1984 11 min. This piece explores the properties of fluids encased by hard surfaces. Beyond the Windowsill 1985 A woman explores the inner and outer expressions of self. While gazing out the window at the outside world she ponders whether she should join it. A Road Picture, Super 8 Film 4 min., 1985 My Little Dog Knows Me, Super 8 Film, 5 min., 1985. He Left 4 Red Chairs 1987 12 min. A woman tells her distracted (and distracting) dog the facts of man/woman relationships. Her lover has recently moved out, and she must explain to her animal companion what has happened to her (their) human?companion. The Story of Jacqueline Nocal 1987 19 min. This mock documentary about one of those "French Philosophers" chronicles her life and her very interesting theories about gender deference and the language of animals. She comes to many of her conclusions by watching her home videos. Spring of Lies, with MCRR, Documentary Video, 60 min., 1992. Fingering Flowers, Experimental Video, 5 min. 1992. Please Mr. President, with Ladies of the Lake Music Video, 5 min.. 1992. In the Spring, After the War, I Became a Socialist, Documentary Video, 12 min. 1991. The News Diaries Parts 1 &2 with 8 mm News Collective, Documentary 45 min. 1990, Paranormal Dog, Experimental Video, 5 min., 1989. Ticket To Tokyo 1993 11 min. The Camcorder musings of a woman traveling in Japan alone. She comes to some unusual understandings about Japanese society. Beyond The Curve of the Earth 1996 6 min. Bad poetry, real bad poetry. From Time To Time 1997 13 min. A woman in the future is having a past life regression to the present, unfortunately for her life in the present is not all that she would have hoped for, too many dogs for one thing, and the relationship she is trying to remember had better be left in the past (the present ) Sigh..., Experimental Video, 3min, 2000 I'm in The Woods and Very Scared. 3min. 1999 Ouch, for Joan of Arc , 90sec. 1999 Watching You, Video Installation with Meg Knowles 1998. Out of the Blue, Experimental Video, 5 min., 1998.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Independent Video Producer 1989 - Present Projects have included documentaries, industrial videos and public service announcements for regional organizations. Recent work includes projects with: The Arts Council of Buffalo & Erie County, Buffalo Building Trades Council, Castellani Art Museum at Niagara University, The Women's Tap Fund, The Buffalo Prenatal Task Force, Allentown Community Association, and the YWCA. Award-winning, internationally exhibited work includes numerous short experimental videos and films, activist documentaries and documentary series on social issues produced with groups such as 8 mm News Collective, Media Coalition for Reproductive Rights, and feminist theater troupe, Ladies of the Lake. (See Film & Videos) Teacher/Media Art Educator 1984- Present Squeaky Wheel/Buffalo Media Resources: Workshop Instructor for quarterly, 6 week Video Art Making course. (1992-present) Hallwalls Youth-in-Residence Program: Project Coordinator, Section Instructor for quarterly , 12-week teen video projects, working in collaboration with local organizations serving minority youth, such as Girl Scouts in Buffalo & Erie County, Bennett Park Montessori School, Compass House, GLYS, Kensington-Bailey Community Center. (1996 - present) Arts In Education Institute of Western New York: Teaching Artist , providing hands-on video units for 3rd grade - high school students in Erie County public and private schools. (1993-1997) BOCES Challenge Workshops: Video Instructor for yearly production seminar for high school honors students and teachers. (1995- present) Castellani Art Museum: Instructor for Animation Workshops for children and secondary school teachers in connection with John Knecht exhibit. (1997) University of Oklahoma: Visiting Assistant Professor of Art, specializing in filmmaking, teaching courses in Film Production and Film Analysis. (1987-1988) University at Buffalo: Teaching Assistant, Department of Media Study, teaching Introduction to Video Art, a course emphasizing production and video history. (1984-86) New York State Summer School for Media Arts : Counselor and Video Teaching Assistant to Phillip Mallory Jones for 6 week immersion course for gifted high school students, including production, media history and theory. (1984, 1985) Cable Series Producer 1989-1991 Produced Artwaves, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center's weekly, 1/2 hour cable series , creating segments in collaboration with artists-in-residence. GRANTS & AWARDS Artist Residency Exchange (ARE), Residency at Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY. 1996 Experimental Television Center (Owego, NY), Finishing Funds Grant. 1992, 1995,1997 Visual Studies Workshop, NYSCA Regrant, Upstate Media Fellowship. 1993 New York State Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), Artist Fellowship in Video. 1988,1992 Niagara County Arts Council, Video Production Grant. 1991 Luminous Video Competition, First Prize. 1991 NYSCA, Film Production Grant. 1987

EDUCATION University at Buffalo, MAH Program, Media Studies & Theater, 1983-1986. University at Buffalo, BA, History, conferred 1986.

FILMS & VIDEOS: Watching You, Video Installation with Meg Knowles 1998. Out of the Blue, Experimental Video, 5 min., 1998. From Time to Time, Experimental Video, 10 min. 1997. Beyond the Curve of the Earth, Experimental Video, 10 min., 1996. 3 PSA's about Welfare, Public Service Announcements 3 min., 1995. Ticket to Tokyo, Documentary Video, 15 min., 1993. Spring of Lies, with MCRR, Documentary Video, 60 min., 1992. Fingering Flowers, Experimental Video, 5 min. 1992. Please Mr. President, with Ladies of the Lake Music Video, 5 min.. 1992. In the Spring, After the War, I Became a Socialist, Documentary Video, 12 min. 1991. The News Diaries Parts 1 &2 with 8 mm News Collective, Documentary 45 min. 1990, Squall Line, Experimental Video, 29 min. 1989. Paranormal Dog, Experimental Video, 5 min., 1989. Jacqueline Nocal, Experimental Video , 20 min., 1987. Joan Noir, Experimental video (Super 8 Film to Video) 19 min., 1986. He Left Four Red Chairs, Experimental Video 9 min., 1986. My Little Dog Knows Me, Super 8 Film, 5 min., 1985. A Road Picture, Super 8 Film 4 min., 1985. Beyond the Windowsill, Experimental Video, 7 min., 1984. Ham and Eggs, Experimental Video, 10 min., 1983. Fruit-i-cide, Experimental Video, 8 min., 1982.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS: Chautauqua Institution, New Buffalo Video, 1997 Thunder Gulch, New York, 1997 Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, Artist Residency Exchange Show, 1997 New York Video Festival, New York, NY 1996 Images Video Festival, Toronto, Canada, 1996 National Video Poetry Festival, Chicago IL, 1996 The Knitting Factory, New York, NY 1995 Art in General, New York, NY, 1995 Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, New Menus for Life: Retrospective Show, 1994 Albright Knox Art Gallery. 43rd Western New York Show, 1994 Film Forum, Los Angeles, CA 1993 Squeaky Wheel, Visible Women, Buffalo, NY 1993 Cleveland Performance Art Festival with Ladies of the Lake. 1992 A Space Toronto Canada Buffalo Gals 1990 The National Museum of Women in the Arts Washington D.C