“I’d have loved, for instance, if there was a film of Rembrandt, to have seen the order of marks, to have seen the speed of them.” — David Hockney
Rembrandt and other famous artists have invited their share of biopics and post-mortem biographies, but the films below are somewhat different. Living artists invite the camera into their lives to share (or attempt to share) their thoughts and processes. We collected some of the best documentaries about — and starring — working artists, all of which you can watch online.
Keep in mind that even if you don’t subscribe to Amazon Prime or Netflix, you can still purchase or rent many of these titles through Amazon, iTunes, and other sources.
This film functions as a making-of documentary about the MoMA performance of the same name, but it also delves into the artist’s life and career. If performance art interests you, this is a great film to learn more about it.
Filmmaker Bruno Wollheim’s second TV documentary about David Hockney, it aims to provide a glimpse of the famous artist working “near the end” of his career. It’s been years since the film was finished in 2009, and Hockney’s career continues, so perhaps it’s time for a third film, hopefully including some footage of Hockney at work on his iPad.
“All artists talk about process … nobody really talks about full-term process, to the end, to the destruction and to the dissolution of a piece.”
This one is about cardboard artist James Grashow and his over three-year-long quest to build a “fountain” from corrugated cardboard, then watch it dissolve in the rain.
See the photographer at work with her wet plates and large format camera on her Virginia farm. With footage covering five years, the film shares a good deal about Mann’s life and creative process, including her series exploring death (which gives the film its title).
Exactly what the title says — there’s a lot of Gerhard Richter painting and not a lot of him talking, which makes for some very Zen sequences with only the sounds of brushes, squeegees, and the painter’s footsteps. A great chance to see a famous artist at work inside the studio, in a film that’s more about the artist’s process than his personality.
In contrast to Gerhard Richter, Louise Bourgeois has a lot to say and a little less studio time in this film. The sculptor, who died in 2010, and her contemporary artists will give you plenty to think about, and the “Tangerine scene,” a long monologue by Bourgeois, is a must-watch.
This documentary is a photographer’s delight, loaded with interviews and images by street photographers like Joel Meyerowitz, Martha Cooper, and Boogie.
“There’s nothing behind it. It’s just painted in his style.”
Talent, greed, and crime. Wolfgang Beltracchi’s forged paintings made him millions, and now it makes an interesting and though-provoking documentary. You can also see Beltracchi at work on his own, non-forgery paintings.
Have a favorite art documentary to share? Let us know in the comments, below!
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