Probably THE definitive documentary about the history of New York City’s art scene, from the beginning of World War II to the height of the Vietnam War era.
Emile de Antonio was a Marxist filmmaker who mostly directed political documentaries about subjects ranging from the Kennedy assassination to the Weathemen. He realized, at some point, that he was a friend to or acquainted with all of the great artists residing in NYC at this time. So this gives a great look into their work, their process, and their situation.
Enjoy!
Related articles
- Deep Cuts: Emile de Antonio’s Final Gift to the WCFTR (wcftr.wordpress.com)
- How much does gender influence the art world? (telegraph.co.uk)
- Is it art? (omstreifer.wordpress.com)
- Commentary: Nick Carone-A Primer on Abstract Expressionism in Its Prime (hamptonsarthub.com)
- Astonishing Abstract (rubyabode.wordpress.com)
CALL ME MAGGIE 
Thank you for sharing! I have it loading up now 🙂
Excelsior! Let me know what you think about it.
This is an exceptional documentary. There are so many things you get to hear straight from the artists without having to rely on or question the perspective of a critic or cultural commentator. In a way it seemed a lot like what we’ve come to know as ‘behind the scenes’ commentary. Most of what I seem to get about these artists and their work is from aggregations and secondary sources. What’s more, there’s something more radical and immediate about these video interviews than, say, a written statement by the artists; they aren’t taking the time to deliberate and craft a statement but are rather confronting questions about their work readily and positing claims offhand, which holds a very different potential than what we usually get. It’s definitely worth a viewing or ten.
Yes! That is exactly what I liked about it. Much more immediate even if mediated through film. 🙂