Beatrice Wood: Mama of Dada
Encyclopedia
Beatrice Wood: Mama of Dada is a 1993 documentary film
written and directed by Tom Neff
about the avant-garde
artist Beatrice Wood
.
, particularly her experiences as one of the members of the art movement known as Dada
during the 1910s. It also recounts friendships with Marcel Duchamp
and Henri-Pierre Roché
whose book, and subsequent film Jules and Jim
, was no doubt inspired by the relationship between the three of them, but actually based on a later relationship between Roché, Helen Grund and the German writer Franz Hessel
.
Various art consultants, artists, and owners of art galleries who have exhibited Wood's art consulted on the film and were interviewed.
in Los Angeles to coincide with Wood's 100th birthday. According to the Los Angeles Times
, guests that celebrated Wood's birthday and viewed the film included Danny DeVito
, Jack Nicholson
, Michael Medavoy, David Crosby
, Stephen Stills
, Tippi Hedren
, Leonard Nimoy
, Estelle Getty
, Paula Prentiss
, Deborah Raffin
, and others.
When shown on PBS, the Los Angeles Times
lauded the film and wrote, "Making a documentary about artist Beatrice Wood that is as full of life as its subject is probably impossible. But producer-director Tom Neff's energetic Beatrice Wood: Mama of Dada, which airs at 10 tonight on KCET-TV Channel 28, comes as close as you could ask...Among the most compelling sequences are those that show Woods' autobiographical drawings and paintings. These colorful images are full of the same passion and sensuality that still emanates from the tiny, plucky sari-clad artist whom we now see opening up a freshly fired kiln full of pottery or chatting about the joys of men. If she were Japanese, as one of the interviewees in the film points out, Wood would have long ago been dubbed a living national treasure. As is, at least we've got the worthy tribute that is Beatrice Wood: Mama of Dada by which to know this incredible woman."
Variety
film critic, Tony Scott, praised the production values of the film and wrote, "A loving look at a 100-year-old Ojai potter-painter should give plenty of hope to those whose lust for life may have faded, joy to those who enjoy a good companion. Sensitively filmed, handsomely lit and expertly edited, the ode to Beatrice Wood shimmers in beauty... Wood herself is a charming, industrious, disciplined, amusing and independent figure who's still living a full life. One of the speakers proclaims, 'Beatrice keeps a wonderful child alive in her.' The spec has been awarded the Cine Golden Eagle. Archival photos and paintings, historians and curators help fill out the picture, and John Rosasco has supplied a splendid score."
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
written and directed by Tom Neff
Tom Neff
Thomas Linden Neff, known as Tom Neff, is a film executive, director and producer, born in Chicago, Illinois. Currently, he lives in Nashville, Tennessee.-Education:Neff received his Bachelor of Arts from Lawrence University with a major in English...
about the avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
artist Beatrice Wood
Beatrice Wood
Beatrice Wood was an American artist and studio potter, who late in life was dubbed the "Mama of Dada," and served as a partial inspiration for the character of Rose DeWitt Bukater in James Cameron's 1997 film, Titanic...
.
Synopsis
The documentary details the life and work of the artist Beatrice WoodBeatrice Wood
Beatrice Wood was an American artist and studio potter, who late in life was dubbed the "Mama of Dada," and served as a partial inspiration for the character of Rose DeWitt Bukater in James Cameron's 1997 film, Titanic...
, particularly her experiences as one of the members of the art movement known as Dada
Dada
Dada or Dadaism is a cultural movement that began in Zurich, Switzerland, during World War I and peaked from 1916 to 1922. The movement primarily involved visual arts, literature—poetry, art manifestoes, art theory—theatre, and graphic design, and concentrated its anti-war politics through a...
during the 1910s. It also recounts friendships with Marcel Duchamp
Marcel Duchamp
Marcel Duchamp was a French artist whose work is most often associated with the Dadaist and Surrealist movements. Considered by some to be one of the most important artists of the 20th century, Duchamp's output influenced the development of post-World War I Western art...
and Henri-Pierre Roché
Henri-Pierre Roché
Henri-Pierre Roché was a French author who was deeply involved with the artistic avant-garde in Paris and the Dada movement.- Biography :Roché was born in Paris, France. In 1898, he was an art student at the Académie Julian....
whose book, and subsequent film Jules and Jim
Jules and Jim
Jules and Jim is a 1962 French film directed by François Truffaut based on Henri-Pierre Roché's 1953 semi-autobiographical novel about his relationship with writer Franz Hessel and his wife, Helen Grund....
, was no doubt inspired by the relationship between the three of them, but actually based on a later relationship between Roché, Helen Grund and the German writer Franz Hessel
Franz Hessel
Franz Hessel was a German writer and translator.With Walter Benjamin, he produced a German translation of Marcel Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu....
.
Various art consultants, artists, and owners of art galleries who have exhibited Wood's art consulted on the film and were interviewed.
Interviews
- Beatrice WoodBeatrice WoodBeatrice Wood was an American artist and studio potter, who late in life was dubbed the "Mama of Dada," and served as a partial inspiration for the character of Rose DeWitt Bukater in James Cameron's 1997 film, Titanic...
- Artist - Francis NaumannFrancis NaumannFrancis M. Naumann is a scholar, curator, and art dealer, specializing in the art of the Dada movement and the Surrealist periods.He is author of numerous articles and exhibition catalogues, including New York Dada 1915-25 and Marcel Duchamp: The Art of Making Art in the Age of Mechanical...
- Art Scholar and Art Dealer - Rupert PoleRupert PoleRupert Pole was a husband of Anaïs Nin, and her literary executor.Pole was born in Los Angeles. His father Reginald was a highly regarded Shakespearean actor...
- Literary Executor - Lee Waisler - Artist
- Garth Clark - Art Gallery Owner
Background
The film, shot in 16mm, premiered on March 3, 1993 at the Pacific Design CenterPacific Design Center
The Pacific Design Center, or PDC, is a multi-use facility for the design community located in West Hollywood, California. One of the buildings is often described as the Blue Whale because of its outsize nature relative to surrounding buildings and its brilliant blue glass cladding.-Site and...
in Los Angeles to coincide with Wood's 100th birthday. According to the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, guests that celebrated Wood's birthday and viewed the film included Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
, Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
, Michael Medavoy, David Crosby
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
, Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time...
, Tippi Hedren
Tippi Hedren
Nathalie Kay "Tippi" Hedren is an American actress and former fashion model with a career spanning six decades. She is primarily known for her roles in two Alfred Hitchcock films, The Birds and Marnie, and her extensive efforts in animal rescue at Shambala Preserve, an wildlife habitat which she...
, Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
, Estelle Getty
Estelle Getty
Estelle Scher-Gettleman , better known by her stage name Estelle Getty, was an American actress, who appeared in film, television, and theatre...
, Paula Prentiss
Paula Prentiss
Paula Ragusa , better known by her stage name Paula Prentiss, is an American actress well-known for her film roles in Where the Boys Are, Man's Favorite Sport?, The Stepford Wives, What's New Pussycat?, The Black Marble, and The Parallax View and her co-starring role in the television situation...
, Deborah Raffin
Deborah Raffin
Deborah Iona Raffin is an American film and television actress.Raffin was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Trudy Marshall, a Brooklyn-born former movie actress, and Phillip Jordan Raffin, a restaurateur and meat/brokerage executive.She appeared in several 1970s Hollywood films...
, and others.
Distribution
The documentary was broadcast on PBS on the American West Coast on October 1, 1993 and was shown in the Spring of 1994 on the East Coast.Film festivals
- Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 1993.
- Hot Springs Documentary Film FestivalHot Springs Documentary Film FestivalThe Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival began as a cooperative effort between the Southern Film Alliance and a small group of Hot Springs volunteers in 1992. Academy Award nominated films were shown free of charge to the public in the Historic District of Hot Springs...
, Hot Springs, ArkansasHot Springs, ArkansasHot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
, 1993. - Rocky Mt. Women's Film Festival, Colorado Springs, ColoradoColorado Springs, ColoradoColorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, 1993. - Santa Barbara International Film FestivalSanta Barbara International Film FestivalThe Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a film festival and non-profit organization, established in 1985, that showcases independent American and international films. The SBIFF line-up includes 20 world premieres and 11 U.S. premieres, with newly expanded 11-day festival...
, Santa Barbara, CaliforniaSanta Barbara, CaliforniaSanta Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, 1993. - Shandu International Television Film Festival, China, 1993.
Other venues
- Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
- UCLA Documentary Series, Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, 1993 - Detroit Institute of ArtsDetroit Institute of ArtsThe Detroit Institute of Arts is a renowned art museum in the city of Detroit. In 2003, the DIA ranked as the second largest municipally owned museum in the United States, with an art collection valued at more than one billion dollars...
, Detroit, 1994 - Festival of the Arts, Laguna Beach, CaliforniaLaguna Beach, CaliforniaLaguna Beach is a seaside resort city and artist community located in southern Orange County, California, United States, approximately southwest of the county seat of Santa Ana...
, 1993 - MUSE Film & Television, New York City, 1993
- Philadelphia Museum of ArtPhiladelphia Museum of ArtThe Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest art museums in the United States. It is located at the west end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. The Museum was established in 1876 in conjunction with the Centennial Exposition of the same year...
, Philadelphia, 1993 - Smithsonian American Art MuseumSmithsonian American Art MuseumThe Smithsonian American Art Museum is a museum in Washington, D.C. with an extensive collection of American art.Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum has a broad variety of American art that covers all regions and art movements found in the United States...
, Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, 1994 - Whitney Museum of American ArtWhitney Museum of American ArtThe Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
, New York City, 1993
Critical reception
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
lauded the film and wrote, "Making a documentary about artist Beatrice Wood that is as full of life as its subject is probably impossible. But producer-director Tom Neff's energetic Beatrice Wood: Mama of Dada, which airs at 10 tonight on KCET-TV Channel 28, comes as close as you could ask...Among the most compelling sequences are those that show Woods' autobiographical drawings and paintings. These colorful images are full of the same passion and sensuality that still emanates from the tiny, plucky sari-clad artist whom we now see opening up a freshly fired kiln full of pottery or chatting about the joys of men. If she were Japanese, as one of the interviewees in the film points out, Wood would have long ago been dubbed a living national treasure. As is, at least we've got the worthy tribute that is Beatrice Wood: Mama of Dada by which to know this incredible woman."
Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
film critic, Tony Scott, praised the production values of the film and wrote, "A loving look at a 100-year-old Ojai potter-painter should give plenty of hope to those whose lust for life may have faded, joy to those who enjoy a good companion. Sensitively filmed, handsomely lit and expertly edited, the ode to Beatrice Wood shimmers in beauty... Wood herself is a charming, industrious, disciplined, amusing and independent figure who's still living a full life. One of the speakers proclaims, 'Beatrice keeps a wonderful child alive in her.' The spec has been awarded the Cine Golden Eagle. Archival photos and paintings, historians and curators help fill out the picture, and John Rosasco has supplied a splendid score."
Awards
Wins- CINECINECINE is a consortium formulated to depict American life and thought realistically for a global audience. CINE recognizes and fosters the highest quality of non-theatrical film and video production through its semi-annual film competitions....
: Golden Eagle, 1992. - Columbus International Film & Video FestivalColumbus International Film & Video FestivalThe Columbus International Film + Video Festival is a Columbus, Ohio, USA annual film festival which is designed to encourage and promote the use of film and video in all forms of education and communication...
, Bronze Plaque Award, 1993. - Sichuan Television Festival, Golden Panda award, ChengduChengduChengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, China, 1993. Of note: the film was the first American documentary to win the award.
External links
- Beatrice Wood: Mama of Dada images at SpotLight Public Relations
- Beatrice Wood: Mama of Dada at Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts
- Beatrice Wood: Mama of Dada excerpts of film at You Tube