Robert Rauschenberg Movies

Chuck Close travels into the world of one of the late 20th and early 21st century's most highly singular visual artists. The eponymous subject of the title opted, early on, to exclusively devote all of his time and creative energy to constructing massive human likenesses, "deconstructed" into enlarged photographs, self-portraits, images from other artists, and a host of other ephemera. From a close vantage point, the overall image can be neither discerned nor detected, but when one stands at a considerable distance, the smaller components "coalesce" into a fluid whole. As documentarist Marion Cajori subtly reminds the audience time and again, the most astonishing aspect of Close's artistic construction (especially given the photo shoots, image selection, and other elements that go into the process) involves his 20 year physical paralysis. The central narrative of Cajori's film witnesses Close's construction of one such portrait (with the help of many assistants) over an 80+ day period; she also works in footage from a biographical sketch of Close that she shot in 1998, clips of the artist and his colleagues, and a number of additional sources - hence mirroring, in the creation of her own biographical portrait of Close, the process by which Close creates a new work of art. Chuck Close also represents the final cinematic work of acclaimed documentarist Cajori, who died shortly after editing this motion picture; it took her 13 years to complete, from 1993 to 2006. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

The story of Chuck Close belongs to both the rarefied world of art and to the annals of human triumph over adversity. Originally drawn to painting as a means of dealing with a childhood learning disability, Close began his career by creating massive black-and-white portraits, astonishingly detailed and sometimes brutally realistic. Having caught the attention of critics and the public, he went on to experiment with different artistic influences -- Impressionism, computer-generated imagery, cubism, mosaic -- while staying true to certain self-imposed rules for his portraiture. In 1988, when the 48-year-old Close's spinal artery collapsed and left him paralyzed from the neck down, he feared he would never paint again. After a difficult fight to regain movement, however, Close has succeeded not only in painting again, but in continuing to grow as an artist and in receiving critical raves for his work. Director Marion Cajori's compelling documentary explores Close's inspiring life story while showcasing his vibrant and thought-provoking portraits. Featuring appearances by contemporary New York artists Leslie Close, Philip Glass, Mark Greenwold, Alex Katz, Dorothea Rockburne, and Kiki Smith. ~ Sarah Welsh, All Movie Guide

John Cage: I Have Nothing to Say and I Am Saying It is a "performance biography" of American avant-garde composer John Cage. The 56-minute program takes an in-depth look at the man and the artist through interviews with Robert Rauschenberg, Laurie Anderson, and Yoko Ono. Cage's silent piano piece, "4'33"", is performed in full, and excerpts of pieces written for percussion instruments, conch shells, and "five radios and a reader" are also featured. Cage's collaborative work with choreographer Merce Cunningham is highlighted. ~ Kathleen Wildasin, All Movie Guide

This is a biographical documentary about artist Robert Rauschenberg, who shares with the viewers his reasons for giving up painting at the peak of his career to try his hand at sculpting, filmmaking and theatre. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide