Presenting bite-sized introductions to the work and work habits of sundry visual artists, Art City: A Ruling Passion serves up a number of interesting profiles. Painter David Deutsch spontaneously directs a cameraman in the correct way to frame his already-perfectly-framed paintings, shows us around his studio, and discusses how every painting is an "investigation of dead air." Venice, California artist Ed Ruscha is seen stretching a huge canvas (a surprisingly complicated process), and introducing a work called "Buick Riviera," from a group of paintings involving intense close-ups of clock faces. New Yorker Elizabeth Peyton shows off her desk, where everything from glamour shots of Leonardo DiCaprio to a wistful sketch of Benjamin Disraeli with Queen Victoria await the artist's further inspiration. Interweaving segments from these mini-documentaries in such a way that the viewer comes in and out of each artist's life, the overall effect downplays individual personalities while underscoring the shared resonance of the creative spirit. Also newly available in the Art City series: Simplicity. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (T. Keogh)
Art City: A Ruling Passion
(2002) 58 min. VHS: $99, DVD: $109. Twelve Films. PPR. Color cover. Volume 17, Issue 4
Art City: A Ruling Passion
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.