The process of creating art has always fascinated many people, despite arguments over the value of art and whether university students should study fine arts. Whether or not people are aware of it, art is all around them in their daily lives and can be therapeutic for anyone willing to pick up a paintbrush or a ceramics wheel. Whether it was because of talent, connections, or being in the right location at the right moment, some artists have distinguished themselves from the pack and captured the public’s interest. Books, films, biographies, and documentaries have been published on these creatives and the impact they had on society at large as well as the sector they worked in.
Two outstanding examples of American artists who were still well-liked in the international art community years after their deaths are Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. While they belong to a distinct generation of artists, some, like Yayoi Kusama, are releasing their fashion lines with high-end fashion houses and are still well-known to the public. Through documentaries, one may examine an artist’s body of work in context and learn what inspired them to create the art they do. That being said, there is a great need for these important films about artists.
Ai Weiwei, who was the son of a well-known Chinese poet before the Cultural Revolution, has continued to produce provocative art, as seen in Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry. After a brief imprisonment by Chinese officials, director Alison Klayman visits Ai in 2011. His life has been turned upside down by the authorities, but he still creates art and engages in protests despite the immediate repercussions of defying the authority. To give a complete picture of Ai’s life and work, Klayman conducts interviews with close friends and relatives.
Alice Neel
One of the most well-known artists in the United States throughout the 1900s is shown in the film Alice Neel, which details the biography of the artist of the same name. This artist was a trailblazing painter who showed women in honest, true ways through a feminine gaze. Neel’s work, which rose to fame for her naked images of women, would have been disregarded and analyzed in her day because of how she defied gender norms and expectations. Her grandson Andrew Neel directed the 2007 documentary, which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
All the Beauty and Bloodshed
The Sackler family, which has a long history in the western art world, came to ruin when it was discovered that they contributed significantly to the opiate issue in the country. Photographer Nan Goldin was one notable artist who contributed to all of this. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed follows Goldin’s professional development, which frequently concentrated on people at risk for severe crises, and how she ultimately developed an opiate addiction. The documentary demonstrates how Goldin started to fight for justice against what was going on behind the scenes after nearly dying from an overdose.
Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film
artist, director, and entrepreneur The most well-known artist today is Andy Warhol, whose pieces—which include portraits of celebrities and soup cans—have infiltrated popular culture. Around the world, his artwork can now be found on shirts, prints, posters, and mobile cases. As a young Jewish man from Pittsburgh, Warhol fought his way to the top of the New York City art world and became one of the most influential painters of his time, leaving a lasting legacy. The four-hour documentary Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film charts his development from a typical art student to a shrewd businessman who knows how to make a name for himself.
Finding Vivian Maier
Finding Vivian Maier illuminates one of the most significant street photographers who was previously unknown to the world. Due to the unusual scope of Maier’s work, her collection of more than 150,000 images during her lifetime propelled her to celebrity after her passing. A box of Vivian Maier’s photos was unintentionally purchased and discovered in 2007, which is how the book Finding Vivian Maier depicts her life as a nanny and maid in Chicago. The documentary was made as a result of a Kickstarter effort, making Maier’s tale available to viewers everywhere.
Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child
One of the most sought-after modern artists today is Jean-Michel Basquiat, who was active as an artist who resided and worked in New York City. Despite the fact that he passed very early, his works have nevertheless sold for millions of dollars to notable people and celebrities. Filmmaker Tamra Davis, who conducted an in-depth interview with the artist when he was still alive, combines this archival material with firsthand experiences from Basquiat’s family and friends in her documentary Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child. These first-hand accounts help to piece together Basquiat’s character outside of his artistic output.
Yayoi Kusama may be best known for her enormous sculptures covered in polka dots, her infinity rooms, and her new collection with Louis Vuitton, but in the 1960s and 1970s, she was friends with many of the most well-known figures in New York City. Her early years in Japan, when she endured World War II, her immigration to the United States, and how Kusama came to deal with mental health concerns throughout her life are all covered in the documentary Kusama: Infinity, which is directed by Heather Lenz. This had an impact on her work, giving it the distinctive aesthetic that the world now associates with Yayoi Kusama.
Louise Bourgeois: The Spider, the Mistress, and the Tangerine
The French-American artist Louise Bourgeois was well-known for her sculptures and installations during her career. The filmmakers of Louis Bourgeois: The Spider, the Mistress, and the Tangerine focus on Bourgeois’ creative process and the factors that influenced her artistic output. The documentary, the first woman to have a retrospective at the MoMA in New York City, focuses particularly on her spider sculptures and the sources of her inspiration. Bourgeois is one of the most recognizable names in feminist art; do not miss his tale.
Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures
Robert Mapplethorpe left a significant legacy before he passed away from AIDS, which is forever remembered in rock and roll icon Patti Smith’s novel Just Kids. The photographer’s work generated controversy in an increasingly conservative America, particularly because he publicly featured bondage, graphic nudity, and LGTBQ+ subjects in his photographs. Look at the Pictures by Mapplethorpe describes his journey to become an artist. It also looks at his contributions to American photography, particularly how his perspective on his work evolved over time.
Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present
The Artist is Present was a display that ran from March 2010 to April 2010 at the MoMA in New York City. Visitors may briefly sit across from Marina Abramovi while she maintained eye contact during the show, which consisted of her sitting motionless at a wooden table in the middle of the space. The artist’s preparation for this exhibition is chronicled in the documentary Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present. The documentary explores the significance of why she creates art—or why anyone creates art—as well as the exhibition’s development in front of the camera.
Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict
The Guggenheim family has made a lasting impression on the art world, particularly since institutions like the Guggenheim bear their name. One of the family members most well-known for having a strong enthusiasm for art is Peggy Guggenheim. She moved to Europe and started collecting works from the continent and the United States after becoming friends with some of the most well-known authors and painters of her day. Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict reveals how deeply devoted she was to her trade and how her collection carries on her legacy. This documentary offers an insider’s perspective on how, in earlier times, purchasing art was largely the preserve of the affluent.
The Woodmans
Despite being young, photographer Francesca Woodman made her impact. While in Italy while studying at RISD, she produced an amazing collection of work before passing away at the age of 22 as a result of sadness. The Woodmans, a 2010 documentary, depicts the tragedy of her suicide and how it affected her family. Francesca Woodman was the daughter of artists, and the Woodman family faced the circumstance by creating art about it, carrying on Francesca’s legacy in a rather unexpected way.
