Painters Painting (1973)

Director:

Emile de Antonio

Stars:

Philip Leider, Leo Castelli, Willem de Kooning

Cast

Credited cast:
Philip Leider	...	Prologue (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leo Castelli	...	Himself (art dealer)
Willem de Kooning	...	Himself (painter)
Helen Frankenthaler	...	Herself (painter)
Henry Geldzahler	...	Himself (Metropolitan Museum)
Clement Greenberg	...	Himself (art critic)
Thomas B. Hess	...	Himself (Art News)
John B. Hightower	...	Himself (Director, Museum of Modern Art)
Hans Hoffman	...	Himself (painter) (unconfirmed)
Jasper Johns	...	Himself (painter)
Philip Johnson	...	Himself (architect, art collector)
Hilton Kramer	...	Himself (New York Times)
Robert Motherwell	...	Himself (painter)
Barnett Newman	...	Himself (painter)
Kenneth Noland	...	Himself (painter)

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

painter | new york city | artist | painting | interview | 

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Taglines:

A candid history of the New York art scene, 1940-1970.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 March 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Painters Painting: The New York Art Scene 1940-1970

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Who Gets to Call It Art? (2006)

User Reviews

Painters (talking about) Painting

'Painters Painting' is a collection of interviews from 1973 with some of the most influential modern artists alive at the time. You should expect to mostly hear them 'talking' about their work, rather than seeing them in action. (There are a few, brief exceptions, but it's not like the documentary 'Gerhard Richter – Painting', in which he's mostly shown moving paint around). It's a real luxury to be presented with so many talented people, whose work I love. A number of important art critics and collectors also participate in the film and, in some cases, share personal anecdotes involving the showcased artists.

Not everything that is said is fascinating. Some parts are a little bit dry and boring. But the parts that work (for example, the interviews with Jasper Johns, Frank Stella, Jules Olitski and Larry Poons) offer great insights into their processes. Another IMDb reviewer complains about what he/she regards as Andy Warhol's "tricky" attitude. It's true that he often avoids responding to questions with a straight answer, but I think he's just being playful and tongue-in-cheek, which is something that reflects on his work anyways. And there are also instances in which he seems very candid.

I agree with another reviewer who criticizes the sloppiness of the camera work and the sound here and there. I wouldn't say it's horrible, but it could be sharper.

I don't necessarily recommend this film as an introduction to Modern Art (to people who know very little or nothing about it), but it's well worth a watch if it's a topic that you're already familiar with and interested in.