Bruce Conner: CROSSROADS, Thomas Dane

It is probably the most photographed moment in history and an event which brought nearly half of the world's film supply to Bikini Atoll: the USA's nuclear tests in the summer of 1946 form the basis of Bruce Conner's iconic film, Crossroads.
A stalwart of San Francisco counter-culture and a pioneer of 'Rhythm Editing', we love Conner for his careful manipulation of found footage fragments - from newsreels, B-movies and smut to stock footage. Drawing on archival footage from the second underwater explosion at Bikini Atoll – commonly known as 'Baker' - Crossroads presents a scene of large-scale destruction that is both haunting and compelling. Repeated fifteen times over the thirty-seven minute film, Conner masterful edits to hypnotically drive home the devastation of the detonation.
A bite-sized exhibition, and perfectly digestible over the course of a lunch break, there really is every reason to visit Thomas Dane Gallery's new show.
Private view: 11 June 6-8pm