Leading figure in the American avant-garde of the 1960s. His short experimental works rely on rhythmic editing, often of "found" footage, to create both humorous and politically challenging statements, as with "A Movie" (1958), "Cosmic Ray" (1961)--in which Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" accompanies a semi-nude go-go dancer--and "Report" (1965), which repeatedly shows the assassination of John F. Kennedy.