Black Mountain College: A Thumbnail Sketch; Jonathan Williams: By Eye And By Ear

These two films focus, respectively, on a phenomenal arts college, and one of its leading luminaries. In Black Mountain College: A Thumbnail Sketch, viewers are given a glimpse of the extraordinary amount of creative talent that was assembled at a small college in North Carolina from its inception in 1933-following the closing of the Bauhaus School in Desau by Hitler-to its final days in 1956. The brainchild of John Andrew Rice (a student of John Dewey's), the college, the self-exploratory atmosphere of Black Mountain College was largely the result of the efforts of a triumvirate that included Rice, Bauhaus painting teacher Joseph Albers, and poet Charles Olson. The explosion of creativity perhaps reached its apex in a 1952 multimedia presentation which featured John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Buckminster Fuller, Arthur Penn, and Robert Rauschenberg, among others, collaborating on one project. The film concludes with an interview with writer Jonathan Williams, who discusses the shift from the visual arts to the literary arts which marked Black Mountain College's latter years. In Jonathan Williams: By Ear and By Eye, Black Mountain College alumnus Williams talks about his experiences at the college, along with his key role as developer of Jargon Publications. Initially intending to study painting, Williams was swayed by the art of poet and teacher Charles Olson, who taught him that "the artist is his own instrument." Under Olson's tutelage, Williams edited the poetry/visual arts magazine Jargon, which became well-known for its creative juxtaposition of poetry and pictures: in other words, an artistic feast for both the eye and the ear. Although both productions are very good, the price coupled with the narrow focus of the subject matter, place these programs out of the range of most public libraries. Larger public libraries might consider these, and they are recommended for university libraries with strong liberal arts programs. (Available from: Monty Diamond Films, Inc., One Mill Street, Burlington, VT 05401-1514; 1-800-0048.)