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Directed by Francois de Menil, written by art historian Barbara Rose, and with original musical score by Philip Glass, this newly redigitized film first released in 1977, is an illuminating portrait of Mark di Suvero. One of the most important sculptors of the Twentieth Century, the artist is renowned for his formal orchestration of steel and found industrial material. The film consists of biographical interviews and discussion with the artist about his relationship to the tumultuous political moments in the United States, interlaced with shots of the installation and construction of his sculptural work.
Drawing from candid footage of di Suvero from the 1970s in New York and France, de Menil pieces together quiet and reflective segments of the artist at work, climbing, rigging, constructing and drawing, as well as more contemplative and intimate shots of the sculptor talking with his family and openly sharing his artistic philosophies and political beliefs. In the film, we move from the artist's home on a barge in the port city of Chalon-sur-Sane, where he lived for many years in the 1970s in protest against The Vietnam War, to his studio in New York, and the grounds for his new works in Paris.
In the spring of 1975, di Suvero became the first living sculptor to put his work in the Tuileries, the public gardens in front of the Louvre. As he installs a group of three sculptures here, including the monumental North Star, the camera carefully juxtaposes the lines of the sculpture's I-beams with the curved marble forms of the classical figural work in the grounds. The contrast is a compelling affirmation of the artist's entirely new understanding of sculpture, in terms of scale and balance, and his radical manipulation of material.
The film concludes with the opening of di Suvero's retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1975. Swinging, and handing from the work, the viewers at the event delight in a feast of interactivity as art critic Robert Hughes declares that the energy and intensity of di Suvero's work makes you breath deeper.
Mark di Suvero was born in Shanghai, China in 1933. His family, in exile from a fascist Italy during WWII, moved to San Francisco in 1942. After studying philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley, the artist moved to New York City, where he continues to live and work.
Further Information:
English
| Catalog Number: MC-1276 |
Type: Feature |
Genre: Documentary |
| Copyright: 2011 |
Length: 56 minutes |
Format:
DVD Region: 0 (All) |
| TV System: NTSC |
ISBN: |
UPC/EAN: 880198127693 |
| Label: Menil Archives |
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This is a Microcinema Exclusive title.
Wholesale Purchasing:
Program MC-1276 is available for wholesale from Microcinema DVD. Contact info[at]microcinema.com or call at +1-415-447-9750
Exhibition:
Program MC-1276 may be licensed for Exhibition.
2012-04-19 DVD Verdict
By Appellate Judge James A. Stewart
There are a few moments in North Star: Mark di Suvero when his outdoor metal sculptures look positively scary. The camera makes whatever people are in the background small and insignificant, there's a Philip Glass score, and the metalwork shoots out at odd angles. The effect is rather stark.
By today's standards, di Suvero's sculptures aren't that frightening. Even if I don't get every nuance di Suvero meant to convey, I've seen enough outdoor art to know these are more comforting than intimidating. In the '70s, that wasn't the case. Doris Freedman, who led the Public Arts Council, is seen lamenting that people were more likely to ask "What is it?" than appreciate it. "They have no idea what contemporary avant-garde is," she says.
Outdoor sculpture is still part of today's avant-garde, and di Suvero was at its forefront. His creations were shown in 1975 at the Tuileries Gardens, making him the first sculptor to be featured in the Louvre's outdoor showplace in his own lifetime. North Star shows numerous di Suvero sculptures, the camera constantly on the move to capture all angles. It also shows di Suvero moving among the beams as he creates his work.
North Star doesn't just feature the work, it also covers di Suvero's life. The artist was once told "there was an eighty percent chance that I would never walk around again," following an elevator accident that crushed his legs. There's a note of anger in his voice, years later, as he talks about the accident that left him partially paralyzed. Di Suvero left the United States during the Vietnam War, considering the "military industrialists" to be "unpatriotic."
Director Francois de Menil contrasts the personal with the professional by showcasing his creations and the artist at work in color, while interviews and other footage are in black-and-white. Presented in standard definition 1.33:1 full frame, North Star shows its age, with color fading and source damage. The Dolby 2.0 Mono track is adequate for what it's conveying. Aside from a short bio on inside of the DVD cover, there are no extras.
Given the passage of time since this was filmed, it's interesting that di Suvero speculates on how young people who see his sculptures will think of them decades later. North Star is an interesting documentary that drew me in, even though I was unfamiliar with di Suvero or his work. Still, it will be most compelling to viewers with a special interest in di Suvero or the avant-garde era of outdoor sculpture. |
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