The Codes of Gender

Arguing that advertising not only sells things, but also ideas about the world, media scholar Sut Jhally offers a blistering analysis of commercial culture's inability to let go of reactionary gender representations. Jhally's starting point is the breakthrough work of the late sociologist Erving Goffman, whose 1959 book The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life prefigured the growing field of performance studies. Jhally applies Goffman's analysis of the body in print advertising to hundreds of print ads today, uncovering an astonishing pattern of regressive and destructive gender codes. By looking beyond advertising as a medium that simply sells products, and beyond analyses of gender that tend to focus on either biology or objectification, The Codes of Gender offers important insights into the social construction of masculinity and femininity, the relationship between gender and power, and the everyday performance of cultural norms.

2010-10-13 | en

Mark Mennin: A Journey in Granite

A documentary that traces the creation of the Philadelphia sculpture, Schuylkill Currents from the granite quarry through the refined finished public sculpture.

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Birth of a Nation

Filmmaker Jonas Mekas films 160 underground film people over four decades.

1997-08-06 | en

Ester Hernandez

Ester Hernandez, winner of the San Francisco Foundation 2004 Community Leadership Awards (Helen Crocker Russell Award) - for fostering community and raising social consciousness through her groundbreaking art, for her work with Creativity Explored, and for inspiring and mentoring the next generation of artists.

2009-12-07 | en

Art & Copy

The personal odysseys of some of the most influential advertising visionaries of all time and the stories behind their campaigns.

2009-08-21 | en

Cagnat, le dessin sinon rien

2024-09-19 | fr

Dust Devils

A beautifully done video of Burning Man 2001, 2002 & 2003. Lots of people interviews, Center Cafe activity and extensive coverage of artist David Best and the Temple construction and burn. This documentary captures the swirling columns of dust that were created during the intense heat of the 2002 Temple burn.

2003-05-01 | en

Burning Man: Voyage in Utopia

With a strong emphasis on founder Larry Harvey and temple artist David Best, this video expresses the scale and power of the Burning Man experience. Superb cinematography and editing are combined to make this is one of the most moving Burning Man videos ever produced.

2007-12-15 | en

Coco Chanel Unbuttoned

The story of original influencer Coco Chanel, whose designs still represent the zenith of female sexuality, style and power.

2023-09-15 | en

Drama in the Desert: The Sights and Sounds of Burning Man

Drama in the Desert: The Sights and Sounds of Burning Man is a full-color book (which includes a DVD) based on the captivating images of Holly Kreuter, with contributions from an additional 90 Burning Man participants, offering the reader a taste of the Burning Man experience. The DVD includes an original Score by Sean Abreu, seven slideshows featuring 560 Kreuter photographs and video interviews with 8 artists including Larry Harvey.

2002-12-03 | en

The Beksińskis. A Sound and Picture Album

Painter Zdzisław Beksiński, his wife Zofia and their son Tomasz, a well-known radio journalist and translator, were a typical and unconventional family, both at the same time. One of the father’s obsessions was filming himself and his family members. Using archival footage only, shot primarily by Zdzisław, as well many other materials, which have not been presented anywhere so far, the film tells a tragic story of the Beksińskis that has never ceased to fascinate Polish filmmakers.

2017-05-28 | pl

David Hockney: 50 Years on Film

Using over 50 years of archive footage, this film looks back at the life and career of David Hockney.

2023-08-29 | en

David Hockney: In London

Filmed in his London studio, David Hockney sits down with Melvyn Bragg to discuss his remarkable life and career, illustrated by a wide range of his vibrant and joyous artworks.

2023-08-29 | en

Still Life: Ron Mueck at Work

2013-04-16 | fr

Existential Action Thriller

A short documentary about Heidi Schwegler, a wildly imaginative artist who faced a crisis in her practice, went on a journey, and was then profoundly affected by a surprising flip in perception.

2024-10-11 | en

Eclectic Shorts by Eric Leiser

Eric Leiser displays his boundless creativity in this short collection; A stunning compilation of works presented with a mixture of live action, stop motion animation, puppetry and pixilation techniques, produced between 2001 and 2006.

2006-05-30 | en

Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War

One of Britain’s greatest landscape artists, Eric Ravilious, is killed in a plane crash while on commission as Official War Artist in Iceland in 1942. His life is as compelling and enigmatic as his art, set against the dramatic wartime locations that inspire him. This film brings to life this unique and still grossly undervalued British artist caught in the crossfire of war 80 years ago, whose legacy largely sank without trace, until now…

2022-07-01 | en

Christo: Works in Progress

“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 and outcome of pieces such as Wrapped Coast, Running Fence, and Wrapped Walkways. While discussing his inspirations and motives, Christo states, “The work of art is not the fabric, steel poles and cable, the work of art is the hills and the ocean, the sky, the gates, the rocks, the people, the light- this is the work of art.” (Christo Vladimirov Javacheff) Though his work may appear to be visually distracting from the landscapes he creates in, Christo’s aim is to bring attention to the land itself and encourage people to take note of their surroundings.

1974-01-01 | en

Alain Delon, l'ombre au tableau

2019-05-07 | fr

The Steel Garden

Tennessee outsider artist Billy Tripp has constructed a massive steel sculpture for the past 33 years, and is finally setting his sights on retirement. Former Brownsville native Randall Kendrick examines Tripp’s life and work as he builds one of the final pieces of his ever expanding sculpture, The Mindfield.

2023-12-01 | en