John Powers

John Powers is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Film and Media Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, where he researches the aesthetic, cultural, and technological histories of experimental film and video. His book Technology and the Making of Experimental Film Culture (Oxford University Press, 2023) analyzes Bolex cameras, film stock, and DIY techniques in avant-garde cinema.

Powers teaches diverse courses including American cinema history, experimental film theory/practice, documentary studies, horror genres, and film historiography. He holds a Ph.D. in Film Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

His research explores experimental media technologies through archival materials and filmmaker interviews, connecting avant-garde aesthetics with broader media ecologies. Upcoming work centers on Stan Brakhage's influence in 20th-century American art.