Ian Helliwell: A Selection of Films

Helliwell’s techniques include hand painting, bleaching, scratching and stop motion animation. This hands-on method of working is also applied to his music, particularly in the field of electronics.
Many of the major themes in Helliwell’s work and lifestyle, including electronics, abstract film, sound and light, expanded cinema, collecting and remodelling are encapsulated in his instrument The Megatherm. He bought the redundant 1950’s hospital apparatus at a boot sale for just a few pounds, installed modified sound circuitry and light sensors, and made a special abstract super 8 film to project directly onto it; the Megatherm reacts to the light intensity in the film, effectively playing the soundtrack by itself.