"Guttenplan uses the term 'diary' in a way that is unique to him. In fact, the term can be confusing. There is no doubt that this film is not a diary like those made by Jonas Mekas. It contains little, if any, imagery with an emotional or autobiographical message. Its interest lies in the static objects that tell us nothing about the life of the filmmaker. The NEW YORK CITY DIARY '74 is filled with color and texture, mostly abstract. (...) Guttenplan dislocates the viewer's vision by a perpetual permutation of surfaces. The film's field of vision can unpredictably change from a small area of bricks to a cloudy sky covering several kilometers. The intensity of colors and patterns remains constant while the photographed space changes completely. Such fluctuations amplify the feeling of disjuncture that we get from fleeting visions of things." —Scott Hammen.
