Why Albert Bloch Matters:
"AB" is the first documentary on the life
and work of Albert Bloch, an unconventional painter and poet whose story challenges
the accepted history of modern art. Bloch
was the lone American of the revolutionary art movement Der Blaue Reider
(1911-1914) in Munich, Germany, which included Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc,
and Paul Klee.
For mysterious reasons, after Bloch left Germany in 1921, he
retreated to Lawrence, Kansas, hidden from the commercial art community until
his death in 1961. Bloch left behind an extraordinary legacy of hundreds of
images that feed the intellect and stir the soul. The discovery of Bloch’s work in 1984
provoked disputation about the origin of modernism. His unusual life and
attitude toward the art establishment raise questions about how artists and
great works of art are judged, and who sets the standards.
As historians, curators, and gallery owners continue their
debate, AB’s paintings now hang in influential museums around the world,
including the Chicago Art Institute, the Jewish Museum in New York City, the
Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, and the Lenbach Haus in Munich.
Regardless of one’s opinion on Bloch’s prominence, there
is no question that he is an artist who occupies a central place in the pantheon
of painters who shaped 20th-century art. Using Bloch’s own words,
“AB” creates an eyewitness account of a moment pivotal in the history of art.
From the Director:
As a filmmaker, I am dedicated to telling stories of marginalized individuals whose lives lie outside
conventional society. This film is my passion
project, a decade plus long journey. We have fashioned and designed a unique
filmic portrait of an artist regarded by many historians as "the greatest
American painter no-one ever heard of." At the heart of this documentary
is a mystery about why art touches people and the question of how artists
become known and are judged. Told in his own words through writings and poetry,
the film explores one man’s struggle with the trappings of “art world” fame
versus the spiritual inward truths he found.
Why we want your support:
We still have
a third of the film to shoot, most of that in Germany. We need to raise $60,000
to finish production and post-production.
PRODUCTION:
Travel to
Munich for much-needed interviews with different scholars of German Art. Additional
shooting in Chicago and New York.
POST
PRODUCTION:
Hiring the
editor and music composer, licensing the stock footage, motion graphics
animation, additional film transfers, sound design, sound-mix and color
correction.
This is the most important part of the remaining production process for which we need your financial help. Without it, we cannot move forward.
How you can help:
First of
all, please SHARE this page:
igg.me/at/albert-bloch-film
It is very
easy; just click on the link above— like us, tweet us, give us a shout-out on
your favorite social media platform. You can also share the link via email to
tell your friends and family.
Give what
you can. We know everyone has a different capacity to give, but every single
dollar helps. Your donations will cover our film production expenses—that's
huge. If you give, share it. Tell the world you've made a donation, and they
should too!
Gifts:
The Albert
Bloch foundation has granted us permission to reproduce a few of Bloch’s
paintings as t-shirts and coffee cups.
Summer Night T-shirt
Night II t-shirt