Joan Miró: The Ladder of Escape

Produced by the National Gallery of Art, Carroll Moore's documentary short provides an invigorating overview of the life and creative output of the great Spanish Catalan painter Joan Miró (1893–1983), whose career was influenced by several significant artistic movements—including Dadaism, surrealism, abstract expressionism, and Jackson Pollock–style drip art—as well as the sociopolitical tumult of World War I, the Spanish Civil War, World War II, and Francisco Franco's dictatorial rule over Spain. Miró created a canon that was boldly distinctive with its original use of colors and imagery, alternating between playful wit, rueful meditation, and pure anger to reflect the artist's complex personality within a wider environment of constant social upheaval. Joan Miró: The Ladder of Escape combines rare newsreel footage and photos of Miró along with closer looks at the extraordinary works that were part of the National Gallery of Art's recent Miró retrospective. Of particular note here are the artist's invigorating triptychs: from the rich hues of Blue I-II-III to the minimalist angst of The Hope of a Condemned Man, these are astonishing masterpieces. DVD extras include a visual tour of the Barcelona landmarks that influenced Miró in his youth; a study of the “squiggles, blobs, and beasts” featured in many of his provocative works; and a gallery of pieces shown in the film. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Hall)