Ellsworth Kelly: Fragments

Ellsworth Kelly: Fragments is a compelling documentary film produced in 2007 that provides an authentic, intimate, and comprehensive portrait of Ellsworth Kelly, a seminal figure in the history of modernist art. The film aims to provide a deep understanding of the artist's inspirations, creative process, and contributions to the world of art.

Directed by Edgar B. Howard and Tom Piper, who have previously produced several award-winning documentaries on art and artists, the film features interviews with Kelly sharing captivating anecdotes, and at the same time delving into the depth of his work. This documentary chuckles right into the soul of an artist who has consistently defied categorization while introducing breakthrough concepts in the portrayal of space, shape, and color in abstract art.

Fragments revolve around the life and art of Ellsworth Kelly, who was a pioneering American painter, sculptist, and printmaker associated with hard-edge painting, Color Field painting, and minimal art. His works are distinct for their focus on the dynamics of shape, color, and form, often using multiple panels to create a single piece of art. This film portrays Kelly as he works in his studio and recounts his evolution as an artist, from his early days in Paris after World War II, culminating in the striking and iconic artworks reflective of his developed minimalist style.

The film contains a collection of extraordinary insights into Kelly's artistic journey, allowing the viewers to enter the world of his creativity. The audience will see the artist himself in conversation, discussing the philosophy behind his work, his inspirations, and the process through which he transformed perceptions and ideas into singular, transformative pieces of art. The film also incorporates applications of his theories in his practice as an artist, offering viewers the chance to see first-hand how he goes about creating his unique masterpieces.

The title, 'Fragments,' provides a hint to the approach the filmmaker has adopted, presenting slices, snippets or 'fragments' of Kelly's life and works to assemble a comprehensive view of his artistic journey. The film beautifully captures Kelly's innovative exploration of real-life spaces and how this can be translated onto a canvas or into a sculptural form.

Juxtaposing archive footage against beautiful shots of Kelly at work in his studio and his interaction with his artworks, the documentary also probes into his early years in Paris. The time spent in France as a student profoundly influenced his work as he explored the effects of light and shadow, flatness, and abstraction. The film further includes interviews with various art critics and contemporaries, offering different perspectives on Kelly's work.

Kelly is not only portrayed as a master of color and form, but the film also brings out his personality - a keen observer of the world, someone who draws profound inspiration from nature, and a perpetual experimenter with abstract forms, and subsequently revealing how these personality traits are reflected in his works.

Howard and Piper admirably unfold Kelly's artistic logic, following him as he revisits the Paris of his student days, and when he travels to the Spencertown countryside, offering an authentic and intimate portrayal of Kelly's personality and artistic journey. The film showcases the variety of Kelly's artistic production, including painting, sculpture, printmaking, which marks an evolution and continuous experimentation throughout his career.

Ellsworth Kelly: Fragments stands out as a remarkable biographical documentary due to its ability to similarly capture the aesthetics of Kelly's work and unravel complex concepts with great clarity. It serves as an excellent introduction to Ellsworth Kelly's art, while also providing fresh insights for those already familiar with his work. Viewers of the film might come away with a new perspective on how to perceive the world, changing how they appreciate not only Kelly's art but modern abstract art as a whole.

The documentary is not just for art connoisseurs or fans of Ellsworth Kelly but is accessible and interesting for anyone interested in modern art, creative processes, or the life and thoughts of celebrated artists. It is a must-watch film for those seeking a deeper understanding of abstract art and those willing to see the world from a different perspective, one color and shape at a time.