Michael Blackwood

Michael Blackwood Productions is an independent production company that has produced over 150 documentaries on the arts and its contributors, with a focus on architecture and architects, art and artists, dance and choreographers, and music and composers. The collection features over 1,000 participants or subjects, and spans over six decades of documentation, beginning in the 1960s and including earlier material, through the second decade of the 21st Century. The films serve as primary documents for educational and archival purposes, as well as informative and special interest pieces for the general public. A growing number of educational institutions, libraries, museums and various media outlets are acquiring the films around the world. The company is dedicated to preserving the underlying material, and digitizing its analogue portfolio. The collection itself is one of the largest and most significant of its kind.

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Jim Dine: London (1970)

A concentrated look at one of America's early Pop artists, the film was made during Dine's 4-year residency in London. Actively at work in his studio on several large collages, one can clearly see Dine's masterful balance of artistic freedom and control, as he adds ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Christian Blackwood  •  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Jim Dine

A concentrated look at one of America's early Pop artists, the film was made during Dine's 4-year residency in London. Actively at work in his studio on several large collages, one can clearly see Dine's masterful balance of artistic freedom and control, as he adds ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Christian Blackwood  •  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Jim Dine

David Hockney's Diaries (1970)

Renowned English painter, David Hockney, takes us on a visual journey as he shares with us his treasured photo diaries. Consisting of polaroids Hockney has been collecting since 1967, the diaries act as both a tribute and an artist's notebook, often times including ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Christian Blackwood  •  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  David Hockney

Renowned English painter, David Hockney, takes us on a visual journey as he shares with us his treasured photo diaries. Consisting of polaroids Hockney has been collecting since 1967, the diaries act as both a tribute and an artist's notebook, often times including ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Christian Blackwood  •  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  David Hockney

American Art in the 1960s (1972)

During this critical decade in American life, artists built on the styles of the 1950s. An explosion of artistic energy produced Pop Art, Minimalism, color-field painting, and hard-edged abstraction. Sculptors and painters on both coasts explored new methods and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  John Cage  •  Helen Frankenthaler  •  Jasper Johns  •  Roy Lichtenstein

During this critical decade in American life, artists built on the styles of the 1950s. An explosion of artistic energy produced Pop Art, Minimalism, color-field painting, and hard-edged abstraction. Sculptors and painters on both coasts explored new methods and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  John Cage  •  Helen Frankenthaler  •  Jasper Johns  •  Roy Lichtenstein

Robert Motherwell: Summer of 1971 (1972)

At work on his Elegies and Windows series, Motherwell examines his place in the Abstract Expressionist movement, which he calls the first original American movement in the "mainstream," and its practitioners "the last romantics." He distinguishes between his large ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Robert Motherwell

At work on his Elegies and Windows series, Motherwell examines his place in the Abstract Expressionist movement, which he calls the first original American movement in the "mainstream," and its practitioners "the last romantics." He distinguishes between his large ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Robert Motherwell

Larry Rivers (1972)

In free-ranging conversations as he works in his studio, Rivers oppositional nature and independent mind are apparent. He reflects on his past painting and its critical reception, and speculates on his place in art history. Like his art, Larry Rivers is the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Larry Rivers

In free-ranging conversations as he works in his studio, Rivers oppositional nature and independent mind are apparent. He reflects on his past painting and its critical reception, and speculates on his place in art history. Like his art, Larry Rivers is the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Larry Rivers

Christo: Works in Progress (1974)

“Christo: Works in Progress” takes us around the world on a showcase of the artist’s grand environmental installations. With both critique and praise from members of the communities that have hosted Christo and his works, the film takes a deep look into the process ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Christo

“Christo: Works in Progress” takes us around the world on a showcase of the artist’s grand environmental installations. With both critique and praise from members of the communities that have hosted Christo and his works, the film takes a deep look into the process ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Christo

Roy Lichtenstein (1975)

In conversation with Roy Lichtenstein, critic Lawrence Alloway places Pop Art on a continuum of twentieth-century art that includes collage, Dada, and Purism in referring to signs and objects of contemporary society; Lichtenstein argues for distinctions between ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Roy Lichtenstein  •  Andy Warhol  •  John Coplans  •  Claes Oldenburg

In conversation with Roy Lichtenstein, critic Lawrence Alloway places Pop Art on a continuum of twentieth-century art that includes collage, Dada, and Purism in referring to signs and objects of contemporary society; Lichtenstein argues for distinctions between ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Roy Lichtenstein  •  Andy Warhol  •  John Coplans  •  Claes Oldenburg

Francis Bacon and the Brutality of Fact (1987)

In his London studio, Francis Bacon discusses his work and approach with David Sylvester. His representations of the human figure in portraits and triptychs link him to the distorted realism of Van Gogh and Picasso, who also portrayed the intensity of life that ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Francis Bacon  •  David Sylvester

In his London studio, Francis Bacon discusses his work and approach with David Sylvester. His representations of the human figure in portraits and triptychs link him to the distorted realism of Van Gogh and Picasso, who also portrayed the intensity of life that ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Francis Bacon  •  David Sylvester

Hans Werner Henze: Summer of 1966 (1967)

Hans Werner Henze: Summer of 1966 follows the acclaimed German composer to Salzburg and Berlin, documenting his rehearsals for his now famous opera, "The Bassarids". Based on a fragment of a Euripides play, the opera was a widely celebrated point in Henze's career, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST: 

Hans Werner Henze: Summer of 1966 follows the acclaimed German composer to Salzburg and Berlin, documenting his rehearsals for his now famous opera, "The Bassarids". Based on a fragment of a Euripides play, the opera was a widely celebrated point in Henze's career, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST: 

Monk in Europe (1968)

Part two of a two-part portrait of the great Jazz composer and pianist. On his European tour his quartet was joined by Ray Copeland, Clark Terry, Phil Woods, and Johnny Griffin. They traveled as part of George Wein’s Newport Jazz Festival road company to London, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Christian Blackwood  •  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Thelonious Monk

Part two of a two-part portrait of the great Jazz composer and pianist. On his European tour his quartet was joined by Ray Copeland, Clark Terry, Phil Woods, and Johnny Griffin. They traveled as part of George Wein’s Newport Jazz Festival road company to London, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Christian Blackwood  •  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Thelonious Monk

Monk (1968)

Part one of a two-part portrait of the great Jazz composer and pianist. In 1968, we had the opportunity to spend time with Thelonious Monk and his musicians, following him in New York and Atlanta. In New York his quartet plays at the Village Vanguard and at ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Christian Blackwood  •  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Thelonious Monk  •  Nica De Koenigswarter  •  Larry Gales  •  Ben Riley

Part one of a two-part portrait of the great Jazz composer and pianist. In 1968, we had the opportunity to spend time with Thelonious Monk and his musicians, following him in New York and Atlanta. In New York his quartet plays at the Village Vanguard and at ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Christian Blackwood  •  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Thelonious Monk  •  Nica De Koenigswarter  •  Larry Gales  •  Ben Riley

Sol LeWitt: 4 Decades (2001)

"Sol LeWitt: 4 Decades" presents an opportunity to accompany one of the great artists of our time on a tour of his work, from his formative years to the present. Joined by curator Gary Garrels, LeWitt offers context and motive behind his 2000 retrospective ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST: 

"Sol LeWitt: 4 Decades" presents an opportunity to accompany one of the great artists of our time on a tour of his work, from his formative years to the present. Joined by curator Gary Garrels, LeWitt offers context and motive behind his 2000 retrospective ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST: 

The Artist's Studio: E.W. NAY (2012)

A visit to the studio of Ernst Wilhelm Nay, a remarkable, if somewhat solitary German artist, who established his status at age 30, just before the advent of the Nazi takeover. Nay belonged to the persecuted generation of German artists who, just as their work ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST: 

A visit to the studio of Ernst Wilhelm Nay, a remarkable, if somewhat solitary German artist, who established his status at age 30, just before the advent of the Nazi takeover. Nay belonged to the persecuted generation of German artists who, just as their work ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST: 

Lee Ufan: Marking Infinity (2012)

"Marking Infinity", Lee Ufan's recent retrospective exhibition at the Guggenheim charts the artist's creation of a visual, conceptual, and theoretical language that has radically expanded the possibilities for sculpture and painting over the past forty years. ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Ufan Lee  •  Alexandra Munroe  •  Mika Yoshitake

"Marking Infinity", Lee Ufan's recent retrospective exhibition at the Guggenheim charts the artist's creation of a visual, conceptual, and theoretical language that has radically expanded the possibilities for sculpture and painting over the past forty years. ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Ufan Lee  •  Alexandra Munroe  •  Mika Yoshitake

The Practice of Architecture: Visiting Peter Zumthor (2012)

Architect Peter Zumthor lives and works in the remote village of Haldenstein in the Swiss Canton of Graubünden where he can keep the politics of architecture at a comfortable distance as he enjoys status and praise for his unique modernist buildings. In "The ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Kenneth Frampton

Architect Peter Zumthor lives and works in the remote village of Haldenstein in the Swiss Canton of Graubünden where he can keep the politics of architecture at a comfortable distance as he enjoys status and praise for his unique modernist buildings. In "The ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Kenneth Frampton

Lebbeus Woods + Steven Holl: The Practice of Architecture (2012)

Architects Lebbeus Woods and Steven Holl have been friends for many years, brought together by their creativity, philosophy and visionary architectural pursuits. While both are theorists, Woods finds himself preoccupied with bold, speculative designs that push back ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST: 

Architects Lebbeus Woods and Steven Holl have been friends for many years, brought together by their creativity, philosophy and visionary architectural pursuits. While both are theorists, Woods finds himself preoccupied with bold, speculative designs that push back ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST: 

Kenneth Frampton: A Critical Voice (2012)

Critic Kenneth Frampton is a masterful commentator on the architecture of our time. At the start of his long-spanning career Frampton worked as an architect in London before settling into his writing and teaching, which mainly took place at Columbia University. ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Kenneth Frampton

Critic Kenneth Frampton is a masterful commentator on the architecture of our time. At the start of his long-spanning career Frampton worked as an architect in London before settling into his writing and teaching, which mainly took place at Columbia University. ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Kenneth Frampton

The Juilliard String Quartet: Keeping Beethoven Contemporary (2012)

Filmed during a rehearsal and performance of Beethoven's Quartet in B Flat Major, Opus 130, "The Juilliard String Quartet: Keeping Beethoven Contemporary" is an exciting portrait that explores the creation and history of the famed Quartet, offering a glimpse inside ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST: 

Filmed during a rehearsal and performance of Beethoven's Quartet in B Flat Major, Opus 130, "The Juilliard String Quartet: Keeping Beethoven Contemporary" is an exciting portrait that explores the creation and history of the famed Quartet, offering a glimpse inside ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST: 

The New Clark: Bringing the Ando Experience to the Berkshires (2014)

"The New Clark: Bringing the Ando Experience to the Berkshires" is a revealing insight into a long-term radical expansion of the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The film follows the close collaboration between the museum and its ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Tadao Ando

"The New Clark: Bringing the Ando Experience to the Berkshires" is a revealing insight into a long-term radical expansion of the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The film follows the close collaboration between the museum and its ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST:  Tadao Ando

The Artist's Studio: Carroll Dunham (2014)

In an effort to work without the distractions of the city, artist Carroll Dunham moved his studio from Manhattan to a small village in Connecticut, not far from where he grew up. Finding himself to be more at peace in the calm, rural setting, Dunham feels the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST: 

In an effort to work without the distractions of the city, artist Carroll Dunham moved his studio from Manhattan to a small village in Connecticut, not far from where he grew up. Finding himself to be more at peace in the calm, rural setting, Dunham feels the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Blackwood
CAST: 
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