Educational Media Reviews Online

The lengthy and prolific career of Leon Golub, a contemporary American artist known for his distinctive figural style and violent imagery, is examined in this thought provoking and visceral documentary. The main film on the DVD, Golub: Late Works are the Catastrophes, was originally released in 1988 and was updated in 2004, upon the artist’s death. The film reflects upon the philosophy and ideas which drove Golub’s vision, his relationship with this wife, and the techniques employed in his creations. Footage of the artist at work and the artist discussing his work is interspersed with archival footage of the historic events from which Golub drew his observations. Also included are the comments of everyday people and their perceptions of his work.

Having begun his career as an artist in the 1940s, this documentary primarily focuses on the latter part of his career during the 1980s and 1990s. The portion filmed prior to 1988 primarily gives thoughtful attention to his representations of terrorist acts in society— depicting all things violent and ugly in human nature and human form-- war, torture, racism, and oppression. It shows him at work selecting poses and gestures for the characters in his paintings from his immense files of images of the human form, drawing, and painting. The footage filmed in his latter days shifts focus towards his concepts of mortality, and his paintings become more symbolic, with references to dogs, lions, skulls, and contemporary graffiti.

Two bonus films, which focus on Golub’s wife and studio partner for over 50 years, Nancy Spero, a feminist and antiwar artist, are also included on the DVD: Woman as Protagonist: The Art of Nancy Spero (45 min) andNancy Spero in the NYC Subway (11 min).

Awards:

• Golden Gate Award, San Francisco International Film Festival
• Silver Hugo Award, Chicago International Film Festival