Serge Poliakoff
This documentary is the private history of the abstract painter Serge Poliakoff. Born in Moscow in 1900, Poliakoff fled the revolution and settled in Saint Germain-des-Prés in 1923, earning a living as a guitarist in Russian nightclubs. His story is told from diverse points of view, primarily by the painter’s son, Alexis Poliakoff.
Type (Documentaire / Documentaire fiction / Série documentaire)DocumentaryGenre en anglaisArts & culture Directed by Elizabeth LennardSupported by CNCYear2004Duration52min
The birth of post-war Abstract painting is retold through the eyes of his art dealers and friends. We examine Poliakoff’s work guided by international art historians and critics. In this journey back to the roots of abstraction, recently restored film archives are seen for the first time and reveal a major figure in Twentieth Century painting.
Press coverage
In this way, the film resembles its subject, a painting that strives to blend surface and depth without separating them.
Libération
Thanks to the variety of interviewees and the simplicity of the editing, this lively and clear film allows for a better understanding of the artist and a deeper insight into their work.
CNDP
It is informative, very beautiful (one views the works with a more discerning eye), and wonderfully nostalgic. A true report by Elizabeth Lennard.
Culture Quick
A very lively documentary.
Télé Obs
You might also like
Joan Mitchell, a woman in abstraction
Joan Mitchell was one of the few female painters in the American Abstract Expressionist movement. In 1940s New York, alongside Pollock, De Kooning, and Franz Kline, and later in France where she…