The Bootleg Files – The Challenge: A Tribute to Modern Art

Posted on August 23, 2024 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 876: “The Challenge: A Tribute to Modern Art” (1974 Oscar-nominated documentary narrated by Orson Welles).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: There might be a right issue that is unresolved.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: A re-release on DVD and Blu-ray is not likely at this time.

Question: How can anyone encapsulate the history of modern art in roughly 100 minutes? The answer: You cannot, although Herbert Kline gave it a spirited try with his 1974 documentary feature “The Challenge: A Tribute to Modern Art.” Perhaps the key word in the film’s title is “tribute” – as with any tribute, it provides a celebratory overview of achievement without plumbing the depth and scope of the subject with any great intensity.
Continue reading →

The Adventurers of Modern Art (2015) [Blu-ray/DVD]

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Phil Hall

The modern art movement took root in early 20th century Paris among a motley collection of iconoclastic personalities who sought to expand on the Impressionist breakthroughs of the late 19th century with bold, eccentric and often outlandish visions that gave birth to Fauvism, Cubism, Dadaism, and Surrealism. This mix of visual artists, poets and intellectuals worked their way out of poverty and obscurity, supported along the way by energetic art dealers, collectors and gallery owners who put value in their works.

Continue reading →