Akin to Jarvis Cocker, Pulp's protagonist, Mark Webber (guitars) is keen on visual arts.

Now, as a champion of avant-garde film, including British efforts, Webber has curated major programs of bona fide underground work at The Whitney, New York and The Barbican, London.Now, he brings a selection of film by artists to the Cornerhouse.

'The work is from 1966-1976,' says Webber, 'the first ten years of the London Film Makers Co-Op artist-led and famed for open membership.

So why film? 'I began as an obsessive teenager in love with all things to do with Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol [pause] and in Chesterfield, where I grew up, obviously you're not getting those films. In fact when I was young, all the cinemas closed. You couldn't even see E.T.' Ouch.

Magical properties

Film is a maligned medium. Experimental work is still scoffed at. And the proverbial judgement says that film caused the death of painting.
Sure, in a sense, but to individuals like Webber film is just another medium. One with magical properties.' This is unknown territory,' says Webber. 'Even within the art world, which frustrates me.

The Tate doesn't have a film collection or curator. Yet this work has more in common with art history than film history. So I'm on a bit of a crusade to get film more recognised.

Puzzle

It's recognised in France and America.' But those countries feel they own film, the way England feels it owns theatre. So is it overlooked because it's hard to place, let alone puzzle out?' Definitely. If you say 'film' then most people think feature films. When they're sat in a similar situation - a dark room, screen and speakers - and they're seeing something they can't relate to any other experience, it creates problems.'

Tantalising

But underground film can be tantalising for artists and laypersons alike. 'I believe in education through knowledge of history,' says Webber. 'I mean, with a lot of moving image stuff going on in galleries now, I don't think people can make sense of it unless they're aware of what's already been done. So that's why I do a lot of historical programming.'

Likewise, there's been a deja-vu sensation in the eruption of electronic, digital media - i.e. people doing things with software that'd been done with super-8's.

'Yeah, that's another chip on my shoulder,' laughs Webber who remains pragmatic. 'You know, it's nice to be able to go out an discover things, dust them off, and share, and some of this stuff is funny, entertaining, stimulating.'

Shoot, Shoot, Shoot. Cornerhouse, to 31 May. Expanded Cinema is a special event on 8 May.

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