Alex Katz: Five Hours 2006
Distributed by Microcinema International/Microcinema DVD, 1636 Bush St., Suite #2, SF, CA 94109; 415-447-9750
Produced by Checkerboard Foundation, Inc.
Directed by Vivien Bittencourt and Vincent Katz
DVD, color, 20 min.
Jr. High - Adult
Art, Modern Art, Painting
Date Entered: 05/10/2010
Reviewed by Sebastian Derry, Temple UniversityPainter, sculptor, and printmaker Alex Katz was filmed in 1992 in his studio in New York, creating January III, a large triptych (6ft by 14ft) oil on canvas. The painting took five hours to create, and the entire creation was distilled down to 20 minutes for this DVD.
No dialogue, no voice-over, no narration, no fancy camera work, just pure process as we see Katz first outline the painting in charcoal, then the adding of details and the layering of paint, and on through to the final finishing touches.
What does it take to create a painting? A lot of effort, and we have it here firsthand. It’s an engrossing and compelling document of the artist at work.
More about Alex Katz and his artwork can be found at http://www.alexkatz.com.
A preview of the DVD can be seen at Microcinema.
Highly recommended for all libraries.