Art Quote by David Foster Wallace
““James O. Incandenza - A Filmography The following listing is as complete as we can make it. Because the twelve years of Incadenza'a directorial activity also coincided with large shifts in film venue - from public art cinemas, to VCR-capable magnetic recordings, to InterLace TelEntertainment laser dissemination and reviewable storage disk laser cartridges - and because Incadenza's output itself comprises industrial, documentary, conceptual, advertorial, technical, parodic, dramatic non-commercial, nondramatic ('anti-confluential') noncommercial, nondramatic commercial, and dramatic commercial works, this filmmaker's career presents substantive archival challenges. These challenges are also compounded by the fact that, first, for conceptual reasons, Incadenza eschewed both L. of C. registration and formal dating until the advent of Subsidized Time, secondly, that his output increased steadily until during the last years of his life Incadenza often had several works in production at the same time, thirdly, that his production company was privately owned and underwent at least four different changes of corporate name, and lastly that certain of his high-conceptual projects' agendas required that they be titled and subjected to critique but never filmed, making their status as film subject to controversy.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Infinite Jest, 1996
The passage outlines the archival difficulties of James O. Incandenza’s diverse filmography due to unconventional documentation, multiple corporate identities, and unproduced concepts.
In simple terms: Incandenza’s film work is hard to catalog because of irregular records and many project types.
Recognize the importance of systematic archiving for complex creative outputs.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- film restoration
- academic research
- museum curation
- legal disputes
- curatorial planning
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can archivists balance artistic intent with preservation needs?
- What standards can protect against loss of unconventional media?
Even with thorough effort, some works may remain unknowable due to intentional secrecy.