From Calder to Comic Books: A World of Creative Arts

Artists and their work

The Creative Arts Television collection profiles some of the most intriguing artists from the 20th and 21st centuries, including Max Ernst, Aubrey Beardsley, Pablo Picasso and Hans Richter. Full-length documentaries on Andre Kertesz and Edward Steichen theorise the art of photography, while intimate interviews with Alfred Hitchcock and John Cage pick the brains behind their landmark creations in cinema and music. Henry Moore takes us on a tour of his sculpture garden, while Alexander Calder brings his Miniature Circus to life before an audience.

Dance

Studying the techniques of classical ballet, the tricky showmanship of tap dancing, and the creative freedom of modern dance, this collection also offers a rich understanding of varied forms of traditional dance around the world - from India, Sri Lanka (as Ceylon), Morocco, Bali and more – their symbolism, storytelling and mythology all expressed through exquisite movement. Filmed mostly in the Camera 3 studios, watch world cultures and traditions be brought to life by the talent of dancers and groups such as Maria Tallchief, the Darpana Dance Company and the National Theatre of Nigeria.

Galleries and Exhibitions

Discover the history (and past inhabitants!) of the Louvre as art critic Rosamond Bernier is welcomed into the temporary home of Emmanuel de Margerie, the Director of the French State Museums. Uncover the inspiration behind, and reception of, the architectural design of the Pompidou Centre, or The Beaubourg as it is nicknamed in Paris. See Calder’s mobiles hang in the Guggenheim for his major retrospective exhibition of 1965. Visit the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington D.C. with Joseph Hirshhorn himself, or delve into the extensive collection of British history and culture housed at Yale University as collected by the American philanthropist, Paul Mellon.

And that’s not all…

Within this informative and entertaining collection, the Creative Arts of Japanese puppetry, mime, comic book illustration and calligraphy are all celebrated. Architectural designs alongside international art forms are analysed by critics and historians alike, whilst world-renowned orchestras and composers perform key pieces from their repertoires.