Seven Artists (7 Parts)

Synopsis

Examines some of the main features of 20th-century art, which is characterised by a multiplicity and profusion of styles. In each film the artist speaks for himself and the narrative follows the creation of a single art object.
1 (director Geoffrey Haydon): Roy Lichtenstein revisits the empty loft that was his New York studio during the 1960s. Then the space is seen as it was, filled with works from the 1960s, accompanied by a montage of sounds evoking that era. The artist’s new studio on Long Island is shown as a new painting, ‘Amerind Composition’ takes shape.
2 (director David Gladwell): Explores the work of the Spanish abstract, surrealist painter Antoni Tapies.
3 (director John Mansfield): Shows Victor Pasmore at his home in Malta working on the preparatory stages of a painting and finally as he make a full-size work. He talks about the development of his style and his concern to construct paintings as though producing music. He describes the ambivalent status of the artist as both master and slave of his work, learning to relax so that ‘the picture will paint itself’.
4 (director Peter West): Critic and journalist Dr Hamlet Werther explores the work of German figurative painter Johannes Grutzke.
5 (director Ian Sharp): Explores the work of the American sculptor Duane Hanson.
6: Explores the work of the Argentinian artist Julio Le Parc.
7 (director Geoffrey Haydon): Ed Ruscha is seen retrieving a damaged cardboard and papier-mache ‘rock’ from its permanent site in the Californian desert and using it as a mould to make a new tougher fibreglass replacement, which is returned to the original isolated spot. Also shows examples of Ruscha’s other work and at the end the artist is seen at a half-built house in a remote part of the desert, with a huge canvas word painting used as a temporary roof.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Video; Videocassette. Standard formats. col. 7 x 30 min.

Year of production

1979

Availability

Sale; 1996 sale: £65.00 (+VAT +p&p) each 1996 sale: £210.00 (+VAT +p&p) series

Subjects

Art

Keywords

art - American; art - British; art - German; art - Latin American; art - modern art; Grützke, Johannes; Hanson, Duane; Le Parc, Julio; Lichtenstein, Roy (1923- ); Pasmore, Victor (1908- ); Ruscha, Edward (1937- ); Tapies, Antoni

Credits

Director

David Gladwell; Geoffrey Haydon; Ian Sharp; John Mansfield; Peter West

Contributor

Barrie Gavin; Julia Cave

Sections

Title

Roy Lichtenstein (USA)

Synopsis

1 (director Geoffrey Haydon): Roy Lichtenstein revisits the empty loft that was his New York studio during the 1960s. Then the space is seen as it was, filled with works from the 1960s, accompanied by a montage of sounds evoking that era. The artist's new

Title

Antoni Tapies (Spain)

Synopsis

2 (director David Gladwell): Explores the work of the Spanish abstract, surrealist painter Antoni Tapies.

Title

Victor Pasmore (UK)

Synopsis

3 (director John Mansfield): Shows Victor Pasmore at his home in Malta working on the preparatory stages of a painting and finally as he make a full-size work. He talks about the development of his style and his concern to construct paintings as though pr

Title

Johannes Grützke (West Germany)

Synopsis

4 (director Peter West): Critic and journalist Dr Hamlet Werther explores the work of German figurative painter Johannes Grutzke.

Title

Duane Hanson (USA)

Synopsis

5 (director Ian Sharp): Explores the work of the American sculptor Duane Hanson.

Title

Julio Le Parc (Argentina)

Synopsis

6: Explores the work of the Argentinian artist Julio Le Parc.

Title

Edward Ruscha (USA)

Synopsis

7 (director Geoffrey Haydon): Ed Ruscha is seen retrieving a damaged cardboard and papier-mache 'rock' from its permanent site in the Californian desert and using it as a mould to make a new tougher fibreglass replacement, which is returned to the origina

Production Company

Name

BBC Television

Distributor

Name

BBC Active Video for Learning - now BBC Learning

Contact

Carolina Fernandez Jeremy Wilcox (CF - for educational enquiries JW - channel sales manager)

Email

BBCStudiosLearning@bbc.com

Web

https://www.bbcstudioslearning.com/ External site opens in new window

Phone

+44 (0) 20 8433 1009

Address

BBC Studios Limited
Television Centre
101 Wood Lane
London
W12 7FA
UK

Notes

The BBC Active company has now been absorbed within BBC Learning, a division of BBC Studios. It was originally a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Pearson Education. Formerly known as ‘BBC Worldwide Learning Studies’ and before that as ‘Videos for Education & Training’