Good Work: Masters of the Building Arts

Good Work: Masters of the Building Arts is a 2018 documentary that shines a spotlight on the often-overlooked field of craft in the building arts. Directed and produced by renowned film auteurs Marjorie Hunt and Paul Wagner, the film provides an intricate and detailed examination of the building arts, emphasizing the creativity, skill and passion that goes into preserving and, in some instances, reviving these timeless crafts.

The film exhibits the extraordinary skill and dexterity of craftsmen and craftswomen from across different fields – including carpenters, stonemasons, glass workers, terrazzo installers, wall plasterers, ironworkers, and others – presenting a panoramic showcase of how tradition meets modernity in the world of building arts. What makes the film stand out is its evocative narrative style, combined with visually arresting cinematography that brings to life the art and craft it superbly portrays.

Good Work: Masters of the Building Arts follows artisans from different ethnic, regional and socioeconomic backgrounds. This diverse group of artists, who remain passionate about their respective crafts, offer a melodious chorus of voices and faces to the narrative. The film provides a holistic overview of the contemporary building arts scene within the United States, unifying a number of well-established, age-old European techniques with newer American methods, resulting in an interesting fusion of global design styles.

The documentary skillfully highlights the mundane and the magnificent in the routine acts of these artisans, revealing an unseen world of creativity and craftsmanship within the otherwise seemingly mundane sphere of building arts. From the rhythmic hammering of the blacksmith to the intricate patterns formed by the delicate hand of the terrazzo installer, every moment is captured with beauty and sensitivity. Whether depicting the making of a stained-glass window or the masonry of a cathedral, the film glorifies the workman's dedication, perseverance, and mastery.

One of the engaging elements of the movie is its use of intimate interviews of the artists, allowing them to share their personal stories, passion, and dedication towards their craft. They emerge not just as tradespeople, but as artists in their own right, breathing life and beauty into stone, iron, or glass. The film touches upon their professional paths, their training, their fears and dreams and pushes the boundaries of what a mainstream audience would generally recognize as ‘art.’

Aesthetically, Good Work: Masters of the Building Arts uses breathtaking imagery and contemplative stills to lift the works of these artisans to the same level as painting or sculpture. The directors have adopted an observatory stylistic approach combined with a humanistic narrative structure that further enhances the viewer's experience.

While celebrating the beauty of manual labor and the craft, the film also grapples with the increasingly prevalent issue of the declining number of tradespeople. It raises necessary questions about the sustainability of these crafts and the looming threat of mechanized mass production, drawing attention to the need for passing on these artistic traditions that are integral to cultural preservation.

Good Work: Masters of the Building Arts paints a rich and vibrant picture of the underrepresented sector of the American arts scene, peeling back the layers of their day-to-day endeavors in a visually captivating and intellectually stimulating manner. It offers a heartfelt tribute to those who create with their hands and contribute in their own ways to architectural masterpieces, upholding the traditions and magnificence of their craft for the benefit of communities and generations to come.

Whether you are professionally engaged in art or architecture, or just an enthusiast intrigued by the marriage of manual labor and creativity, Good Work: Masters of the Building Arts will be an engaging, insightful and uniquely captivating watch. It's a heartening celebration of the human spirit, the mastery of physical craft and the love for one's work.