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Clarke's most famous works Bridges-Go-Round and Skyscrapers are lyrical kaleidoscopes showcasing the changing New York skyline. Bridges-Go-Round is shown here with both the electronic and alternate jazz score.

Bridges-Go-Round [Louis and Bebe Barron electronic score] 1958

'Perhaps Clarke's most famous film is this abstract, brilliantly coloured kaleidoscope of New York City's bridges appearing to dance. This avant-garde mix of visual and sound has become legendary not only as a masterpiece of the post-war Indie scene, but as a film to be screened two times whenever it was shown — the two scores creating seemingly different films. [Music Louis and Bebe Barron].' LA Film Forum

Bridges-Go-Round [Teo Macero jazz score] 1958

'Manhattan Island becomes a maypole around which its bridges, detached from moorings and land, execute a bewitching dance. Shirley Clarke has freed these formidable structures from their everyday functions and magically set them to dancing to two different musical tracks, one jazz and one electronic, so that each track affects the viewer's response to the imagery. Music by Teo Macero.' Film Society of Lincoln Center

Skyscraper 1959

'Receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Short Live Action, Skyscraper is 'A lyrical narration about the changing city of New York which centres around the erection of a skyscraper. A case history of this singularly American architectural form, it highlights the story of the new building from initial planning stages to completion and the roles of the many people who help affect the city's skyline.' Melbourne International Film Festival