New York Close Up films pre-selected for Krafta Doc Art Making Film Festival

We're excited to learn that two films from our New York Close Up series have been selected for Krafta Doc Art Making Film Festival: "Louise Despont Draws Deep" and "Diana Al-Hadid Plays the Classics". Taking place in Glasgow (UK), Krafta Doc is the first international documentary festival about making art. In its inaugural edition, this festival has received submissions from over 30 different countries and we're delighted to be among the films pre-selected for its program, due to take place in 6-10 September, 2017. More information about Krafta Doc in this link. 

"Louise Despont Draws Deep"

How does an artist get maximum results out of minimal means? Artist Louise Despont uses architectural stencils to create intricate pencil-on-paper drawings in her home and studio in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Working between a small desk and her bedroom floor, Despont’s daily practice, with a limited set of tools, yields surprising discoveries. “To be focused and dedicated to doing one simple thing can perhaps be the most transformative thing,” says the artist, “That as narrow as it is, it can be infinitely deep.”

"Diana Al-Hadid Plays the Classics"

How do you get a painting to stand up on its own? At her Bushwick, Brooklyn studio and the OHWOW Gallery in Los Angeles, artist Diana Al-Hadid creates a singularly hybrid artwork, transforming brushstrokes on a wall into architectural sculpture: “I love storytelling, I love stories, and I love novels and characters. But there’s a part of me that resists that kind of specificity. I like to hold back and be more ambiguous”.

Both these documentaries are part of our film series New York Close Up produced in partnership with Art21, devoted to artists in the first decade of their professional career, living and working in New York City. Having the opportunity to profile each artist in multiple short films shot over the years, the series offers a rare glimpse into today’s most intriguing young artists as their creative process, artistic aspirations and lives evolve over time. Starting our collaboration in 2013, we've produced 17 films up to date.