Video No. 6033. English Language Pal VHS.
An Exploration of Art on Film.
Directed by Laurence Boulting.
The world of the Spanish Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida (b.1914) is an arena where the spiritual and the material meet in powerful architectural forms and simple resonant motifs. Underlying his creative process - as Chillida explains - is a constant self-reappraisal and a determination not to impose ideas but to give form to the unexpressed and unknown, "to walk", in the words of the French poet Rene Char, "with you forehead against the night".
Beginning as a student of architecture, Chillida turned to sculpture but had little success before he exhibited at the Milan Triennale of 1954. An impressive series of international commissions and awards followed, and Chillida became closely associated with other major artists including Chagall, Braque and Alexander Calder.
Central to this film is Chillida's passion for exploring the sculptural properties of different materials: he is seen here preparing works in iron and a series of pieces cut from heavy clay blocks. Chillida's background in architecture is evident in his attention to the landscape or urban setting of his sculptures, which often derive their forms from such antecedents as ancient Mesoamerican and Egyptian buildings and the unadorned walls of fortifications.
In contrast to his public status as an international sculptor, Chillida's personal life remains centred on his large family, and the film explores this aspect of the artist with a poetic vividness and intimacy. Chillida's own commentary throughout provides a clearly defined statement of his artistic aims and philosophy.
