Art: 21--Art in the Twenty-First Century, Seasons One & Two

This collection of episodes from the first two seasons of the PBS-aired series Art: 21 brings the viewer into the studios of 37 of the most famous, challenging, and often controversial creative and visual artists working in America today, including Laurie Anderson, Charles Atlas, Matthew Barney, Louise Bourgeois, Sally Mann, Gabriel Orozco, Maya Lin, Richard Serra, Do-Ho Suh, and William Wegman. Rather than present typical talking-head interviews, the series goes behind the scenes to look at the artists at work, home, play, and in search of the always-elusive inspirations to fuel their artistic output. While the series' self-conscious heralding of the intrinsic value of multiculturalism gets a bit heavy-handed at times, Art: 21--hosted by Jane Alexander, Beck, and John Waters, among others--nonetheless presents an invaluable portrait of a nation's cultural personality while spotlighting the talented men and women who are laying down the foundation of the American artistic experience for the 21st century. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Hall)