About The Work
Filmed over three years in Venice, Nsukka, and the United States, this is a powerful portrait of Africa's most widely acclaimed contemporary artist El Anatsui. FOLD CRUMPLE CRUSH: THE ART OF EL ANATSUI gives an insider's view of the artist's practice, the ingenious steps and thousands of hours of labor that convert used bottle tops into huge, opulent wall hangings. Here Anatsui explains how his artworks have become a marriage of painting and sculpture, objects that speak of African history but also reach for the ethereal and he talks about his aspirations for artworks he has yet to make.
Behind the charming, easy-going artist we discover a man who remains mysterious even to his dearest friends. The film circles around Anatsui, drawing ever closer to a deep understanding of the man and his surprising bottle top hangings. We see the celebrated artist installing work on the great world stage of the Venice Biennale; we follow him back to the small town of Nsukka as he goes about his daily life, then watch him inside the hive of his studio directing assistants as they stitch together bottle tops into a vast metal hanging. Finally, Anatsui admits us to the privacy of his home where he tells us about his formative years, and reveals a youthful discovery that clouded his life.
Courtesy of Icarus Films
About El Anatsui
From The Magazine
- Interviews & Features: Our pick of Phaidon's new art and photography books for fall 2021
- Art 101: The 'Vitamin T' List: 113 Artists on the Cutting-Edge of Textile Art
- News & Events: Welcome to the Hourglass Market: 5 Lessons From New York's Spring Evening Sales
- Interviews & Features: 10 Artists to Watch This February
- Interviews & Features: 6 Artworks to Invest in This May
About The Work
Filmed over three years in Venice, Nsukka, and the United States, this is a powerful portrait of Africa's most widely acclaimed contemporary artist El Anatsui. FOLD CRUMPLE CRUSH: THE ART OF EL ANATSUI gives an insider's view of the artist's practice, the ingenious steps and thousands of hours of labor that convert used bottle tops into huge, opulent wall hangings. Here Anatsui explains how his artworks have become a marriage of painting and sculpture, objects that speak of African history but also reach for the ethereal and he talks about his aspirations for artworks he has yet to make.
Behind the charming, easy-going artist we discover a man who remains mysterious even to his dearest friends. The film circles around Anatsui, drawing ever closer to a deep understanding of the man and his surprising bottle top hangings. We see the celebrated artist installing work on the great world stage of the Venice Biennale; we follow him back to the small town of Nsukka as he goes about his daily life, then watch him inside the hive of his studio directing assistants as they stitch together bottle tops into a vast metal hanging. Finally, Anatsui admits us to the privacy of his home where he tells us about his formative years, and reveals a youthful discovery that clouded his life.
Courtesy of Icarus Films
About El Anatsui
From The Magazine
- Interviews & Features: Our pick of Phaidon's new art and photography books for fall 2021
- Art 101: The 'Vitamin T' List: 113 Artists on the Cutting-Edge of Textile Art
- News & Events: Welcome to the Hourglass Market: 5 Lessons From New York's Spring Evening Sales
- Interviews & Features: 10 Artists to Watch This February
- Interviews & Features: 6 Artworks to Invest in This May
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