Arts Council of England.
1) Carlo Scarpa
Language
English
Description
This beautifully photographed program, filmed on location in Italy, pays tribute to this renowned Venetian architect, famous for combining classical and modern architectural forms. Scarpa's unique ability to successfully incorporate his own designs into historical renovation projects is shown at several locations, including the 15th-century Castelvecchio in Verona and Palazzo Abatellis in Palermo. Brion Memorial-one of the great enigmas of modern...
2) Color
Language
English
Description
Color is perhaps the most powerful artistic element, but it is also the most difficult to control. In this program, artist June Redfern goes to Venice to see one of her favorite paintings-Titian's Assumption of the Virgin. Analyzing Titian's innovative use of color, Redfern traces other color innovations pioneered by artists like Monet, Van Gogh, and Mark Rothko.
3) Light
Language
English
Description
How to capture light is a major preoccupation for artists, and each has a different way of accomplishing the task. Although John Greenwood paints still lifes of imaginary objects, he is nevertheless determined to paint them as though they were sitting in natural light. On a fishing boat, Len Tabner tackles the challenge of adapting to changing light. How artists such as Masaccio, Turner, and Monet used light in their work is discussed.
4) Brushstrokes
Language
English
Description
John Virtue is painting an impressionist landscape on an enormous canvas laid out in a field. While he paints, he discusses how he expresses himself artistically through creative brushstrokes rather than through realistic imagery. Through Virtue we learn how the elevated social status of artists in general, and physical changes in the composition of paints, have allowed for more artistic experimentation with a wider variety of mediums and techniques....
Language
English
Description
Some of the most widely known paintings in the history of English art were produced by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, whose work stands out as the most intensely romantic aspect of Victorian painting in England. Founded in 1848 to protest against the outmoded academic conventions of the day, the Brotherhood's influence lasted until the end of the century, affecting fashion, interior design, and literature. This program explores the early years of...
6) Portrait
Language
English
Description
It seems appropriate for a portrait to be a fair representation of its subject. However, problems can arise when the sitter does not perceive himself or herself in the same way the painter does. In this program, Tai-Shan Schierenberg paints a portrait of a wealthy English gentleman in two 3-hour sittings, under the intimidating stare of portraits by Holbein, Reynolds, Rembrandt, and Van Dyck. As an artist, Schierenberg is drawn to his subject's natural...
Language
English
Description
Theater has a long history in Japan, ranging from traditional Kabuki to today's avant-garde performing arts. This program explores the cultural debate within Japan regarding traditional forms of theater and more contemporary variations, including the adaptation of Western texts such as Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard and street theater. Interviews with many of Japan's leading playwrights such as Tadeshi Suzuki and some of the country's most talented...
8) Composition
Language
English
Description
Everyone has the desire to arrange things in a way that is most pleasing to the eye. In painting, composition involves arranging every ingredient-shape, color, texture, and light-so that working together, they create artistic balance. In this program, artist Ray Richardson deliberately chooses a long, slim canvas to challenge his compositional abilities. As he confronts his quest to create a cinemascopic work, students begin to appreciate the composition...
9) Perspective
Language
English
Description
In this program, artists Ben Johnson and Patrick Hughes travel to Florence, where 15th-century painter Piero della Francesca first employed mathematically based perspective. Tracing the use of perspective, they discuss how artists at the beginning of the 20th century rebelled against its limitations. Johnson then uses a computer to create a perfect perspective model for a planned painting, while Hughes completely subverts the rules of perspective...
10) Billy Elliot
Language
English
Description
Eleven-year-old miner's son Billy Elliot is on his way to boxing lessons when he stumbles upon a ballet class. Billy secretly joins the class, knowing that his blue-collar family would never understand.
11) Ratcatcher
Language
English
Appears on list
Description
In her breathtaking and assured debut feature, Lynne Ramsay creates a haunting evocation of a troubled Glasgow childhood. Set during Scotland's national garbage strike of the mid-1970s, Ratcatcher explores the experiences of a poor adolescent boy as he struggles to reconcile his dreams and his guilt with the abjection that surrounds him. Utilizing beautiful, elusive imagery, candid performances, and unexpected humor, Ramsay deftly contrasts urban...