A Selection of My Favorite Art Documentaries.

For a while now, I've been seeing all these lists on what art docs are good. I've been watching art docs for as long as I've been focusing my time on painting. I believe the first real art documentary I ever watched was Sister Wendy's Story of Painting. Sounds funny but I was living in Newport News, Virginia at the time, I believe it was 1997. And to see the wild pourings of Pollock, the Radiance of Rothko, the Facility of Frank Stella and the Meditations of Agnes Martin, really blew me away. It's funny because I'm sure I had been introduced to the work of a few of these when I took art classes in the 5th grade. Though to this day I can only remember seeing a slide of a black stripe on white background Piet Mondrian. It was the only thing that touched me on a gut level when I was young.

Sister Wendy's Story of Painting 

Once I saw this film, and began pausing the section on Rothko just to stare at that work for as long as the tape machine would let it. I had a revelation that art didn't just have to be about recognizable imagery. Many of you know me, and you know that I only grew up drawing cars and band album covers. So I didn't have your regular art education. I skipped many of my art classes in high school because I didn't think they were letting us learn at a pace I wanted to move at. I was not interested in drawing a face or perspective. Mostly because I could already do that. Growing up in Columbus Ohio. I never went to the Art museum...one of the smallest in the country and still is BTW.

Well, shortening up the story. Here's a list, and the youtube links to show you this collection of documentaries on Artists. The one not here on De Kooning, you won't find on youtube. So this is really all about the videos you yourself can see on youtube without my help in finding them. These are in no particular order.

Jean Michel Basquiat - The Radiant Child

Great doc on a great painter to really turned recognizable imagery on it's head.

Robert Hughes - The Mona Lisa Curse

A sad doc about the state of the art world in the present moment.

The Power of Art - Rothko

The best doc on Rothko, I only wish the guy they had as Rothko was the one in a few of the RED plays.

The Great Contemporary Art Bubble

Great doc from the BBC on....well you can tell by the title.

Herbert Kline's The Challenge - A Tribute to Modern Art

This is a tremendous documentary you won't find anywhere except youtube today. This guy went around and really visited the big artists of that age, Miro, Picasso, Soulages, and OH so many more. Watch the whole thing.

Art of the Western World - Episode 17: The Aftermath

This film used to be on every friday on our local cable channel when I moved back to Columbus. I only really liked watching this episode and the following one.
 
Art of the Western World - Episode 18: New, Newer, Newest

Jackson Pollock Doc

Only one of the many docs on Pollock, even though they are all pretty much the same.

This is Modern Art: Nothing Matters

Great doc by a grand documentarian: Matthew Collings. This one is on the more "minimal" styles of art. Ryman, Rothko, Klein, Martin etc.

Ruth Ann Fredenthal: Portrait of an Artist

Portrait of an Artist, like it's title says. Ruth Ann is an amazing painter that most will never be able to enjoy. They are too busy being busy to slow down and spend some time enjoying.

Painters Painting

You know me, you know PAINTERS PAINTING. It's my favorite documentary. Emile De Antonio would hopefully be proud that I am trying to continue on from his seminal film.

Jasper Johns: Ideas in Paint

This is only a clip from this 50 minute doc that was on PBS a good long time ago.

Art City: Making it in Manhattan

Chris Maybach made a series of great docs about being an artist, this is the first one. And still my favorite.

Brice Marden 

Only a small clip of a doc that I bought years ago. 19 minutes of Brice talking about painting, and making paintings. If you know me you know Brice is my FAVORITE living artist. Well...beside me. ;-)

Sam Francis - The Painter

This is a doc that director Jeffrey Perkins spent many decades working on. You get to watch Francis making "Berlin Red" and many other paintings. Buy it, you will be happy you did.

Milton Resnick

Part 1 of 2 on youtube. Great doc. This is actually another series that used to come on our local cable provider every friday. I recorded this on VHS and have watched it well over 100 times.

Gerhard Richter Painting

You know the film, you know the legend.

Julian Schnabel: Masterclass

Great short doc on Julian Schnabel. I have watched this many many times, I have a number of short docs on Schnabel and am always fascinated when I am in front of one of his canvases. I will count myself happy if I can one day stand in that massive studio in NYC.

I'm sure if I looked on youtube for another hour I could find a few more that really caught my attention. But you need to search on your own, so these are really just to get you going with docs you might not have seen yet. And there are plenty not on youtube. I got lucky as the Columbus Metropolitan Library system in the early 2K's had an amazing video collection of art docs. That was how I saw Painters Painting, that was how I saw the Namuth Pollock AND De Kooning films (Which many don't know about his De Kooning film). And oh so many more. The river is wide and deep with fantastic art documentaries. Go enjoy them.

Our first film festival

On August 8th at 6PM, we celebrate the first screening of Who's Afraid of Red Yellow and Blue: A Preface. 

The film is referred to as "A Preference" as this is the beginning section of the full film, this is where you are introduced to many of the people in the film. This is NOT the actual film, that is sill in production and I've got almost ten more interviews yet to do.

The Kingston NY Film Festival is to be held August 2nd to the 11th, and more information can be found here.

Thanks to all the people who are in this film and all that have agreed to be in the full film. I look forward to meeting with you again and getting to know you with a camera to my side.

And Major Thanks to all that have helped me get back and forth from Columbus Ohio to NYC, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and California.

For lodging, if you need it...here's a message from Debra Harris.

You can book at the Garden Plaza Hotel rate of $109 a night I have a handful of rooms reserved for the fest...just tell people to call Debra at 845 338 1299 and make a reservation or use the link below.

Reservations can always be made directly with the hotel at 845 338 0400 or with our group sales office at 845 338 1299, Monday – Friday from 9AM – 5PM. Identify yourself with the above group or mention your group code KFILM.

Reservations also can be made at secured on-line reservation site. To make reservations online, go to our secure website www.hikingston.com, select reservations and complete the form using your group code.

Additionally we have a link you can forward to your guests or post on a website. Use this link Kingston Film Festival Room Discount or click on this logo
If you have further questions or need assistance, please let me know.

Sincerely,
Debra Harris
Garden Plaza Hotel – formerly Holiday Inn Kingston
503 Washington Avenue
Kingston, NY 12401
845 338 0400
dharris@cooperhotels.com