Free Friday Night Flick: 'Curious Worlds: The Art And Imagination Of David Beck'

From the Housatonic Campus News:

October 13, 2020

Streaming Online October 16, Q&A With Director Olympia Stone

On Friday, October 16th the Housatonic Museum of Art presents the latest film in their Friday Night Flicks online film series: “Curious Worlds: The Art and Imagination of David Beck.” This FREE documentary gives us a glimpse into the quirky and nonsensical world of Beck’s famous miniature and kinetic sculpture making, and the mind behind it.

David Beck is a genre all of his own. In his own words, Beck had a hard time getting his start, often not staying in one place too long and “being asked to leave all the time.” He takes the phrase “go big or go home” and flips it on its head, crafting masterful miniature pieces that bring to life a dreamlike landscape of animals, people, and instruments. His background in architecture is displayed in the form of fanciful buildings plucked from the subconscious in a mishmash of architectural styles that make it impossible to mistake as his own.

Despite his humble beginnings, Beck has gone on to achieve much fame and recognition for his work. He’s been displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, and his latest work “MVSEAM” being commissioned by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, where it is on permanent display. Despite this commercial success, Beck is largely unknown to the general public, often referred to as an “undiscovered genius”.

The film is part of an exceptional online, art-inspired film series presented by Housatonic Museum of Art and curated by the Connecticut Film Festival, and will go online at 7pm on Friday, October 16th. A Q&A session with Director Olympia Stone will immediately follow the film.

Visit www.HousatonicMuseum.org for the film link..

October 23: “The Original” followed by Q&A with director and artist, Richard McMahan, and “Little Fiel,” followed by Q&A with director Irina Patkanian and “A Day With Barkley Hendricks.” Outsider artist Richard McMahan is on a quest to painstakingly re-create thousands of famous and not-so-famous paintings and artifacts in miniature. From well-loved Picasso and Frida Kahlo paintings to the more obscure, McMahan has mastered dozens of genres over 30 years. “Little Fiel” is a stop motion animation/documentary loosely based on the life story of Mozambican artist Fiel dos Santos who grew up during the 16-year civil war. Fiel created eight figures representing his family from dismantled civil war guns. Three New York artists turned them into puppets and created immersive stop-motion animation, inspired by Fiel’s memories. Barkley Hendricks is considered one of the great painters of the mid-to-late 20th century, hear this great artist discuss his work, life and creativity.

October 30: “The Light of Fire” and “8000 Paperclips.” In “The Light of Fire,” a fire destroys American-Israeli artist Yoram Raanan’s studio and forty years of his work. But when he begins painting again, startling images he's never painted before emerge, and he and his family begin to realize how different everything has become. 8000 Paperclips “8000 Paper Clips” explores the value of art, Israeli artist and TED Fellow, Raffael Lomas’s own history with depression and struggle, and what humans need – no matter their national status. It follows a group of extraordinary young people as they overcome adversity and build hope for their future – with the support of a team of people whose hearts they have touched.

November 6: ‘With Dad” followed by Q&A with director & photographer Stephen DiRado and the film, “Summer Spent.” The short nonfiction film “With Dad” documents the work of photographer Stephen DiRado, specifically during the period of his father’s mental decline and eventual death from Alzheimer’s Disease in 2009. The film includes interview footage of DiRado, high-resolution digital scans of DiRado's work and contemporaneous digital video footage. “Summer Spent” is a 40-minute documentary depicting DiRado's obsessive, work discipline and life connected to people on Martha's Vineyard for over 25 years.

This press release was produced by the Housatonic Community College News. The views expressed are the author's own.