BRATTLEBORO-Latchis Arts announces the return of “Exhibition on Screen,” a pioneering series of cinematic documentaries about artists and exhibitions of their work at major international museums and galleries.
The series returns to the Latchis Main Theatre on Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15, at 4 p.m., with Turner and Constable. The series continues on Saturday and Sunday, April 4 and 5, with a showcase of the work of Caravaggio.
Celebrating the 250th anniversary of their births, Turner and Constable examines the intertwined lives and legacies of two of Britain’s well-known landscape painters alongside the exhibition of their work at the Tate Britain art museum. Directed by David Bickerstaff, Turner and Constable runs 93 minutes.
J.M.W. Turner and John Constable were also the greatest of rivals. Born within a year of each other, both used painting to reflect the changing world around them. The Tate has brought these two together for an exhibition in London on view through April, and “Exhibition on Screen” once again has exclusive and privileged access to bring their art and biographies to the big screen.
“Discover unexpected sides to both artists with intimate views of sketchbooks and personal items and insights from leading experts,” wrote series organizers in a news release. “Turner’s blazing sunsets and sublime scenes from his travels and Constable’s idealized depictions of beloved places from home whipped the public of the time into a frenzy of enthusiasm.
“Constable represents the very best of the old school of realism and pastoral nostalgia; Turner, an exciting new way of depicting emotion and dreamlike impressions. Critics compared their starkly different styles to a clash of ‘fire and water.’”
Organizers claim Caravaggio, five years in the making, is the most extensive film ever made about this revolutionary artist. “Mystery, intrigue, beauty, passion, murder — shine a new light on Caravaggio in this dramatic biography,” they wrote. With first-hand testimony from the artist himself on the eve of his mysterious disappearance, “this film reveals Caravaggio as never before,” they said.
Featuring masterpiece after masterpiece and testimony from leading experts around the world, the film immerses audiences in the hidden narratives of the artist’s life, piecing together clues embedded within his art.
“Caravaggio’s masterpieces are some of art’s most instantly recognizable,” organizers wrote. “No one else uses his signature blend of dramatic light, intense naturalism and bold, striking figures. [...] But there lies a deeper mystery — one that still beckons us to explore. What do these masterpieces reveal about the man behind the brush? The intriguing self-depictions within his works — sometimes disguised, sometimes in plain sight — offer a rare window into his psyche and personal struggles.”
Co-directed by David Bickerstaff and Phil Grabsky, Caravaggio runs 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Admission is $12 general, $10 for students, at the door. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Latchis Arts. For more information, visit latchis.com.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.