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Herb and Dorothy (Megumi Sasaki, 2009)
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Thanks Phillip, I'll check it out. Is this on DVD yet?
yeah, i rented it. it comes from a new company called ArtHouse films. this is their first release. the dvd quality was very good...the film was shot in digital video, and looks clean, just like you'd expect from a good doc.
I really want to see this - thanks for writing about pg ... but alas my DVD fairy sucks the big one ...
Its streaming on Netflix, or at least it was. I watched it a couple weeks ago and found it fascinating.
Yes, I liked it too. Amazing when they could have made millions from the collection, they chose to donate it to the National Gallery of Art.
This was a really enjoyable documentary on Herb and Dorothy Vogel, an unassuming elderly couple who spent their long life together gathering an impressive art collection that represents the who's who of the New York avant-garde art scene from 1960 to the present. When the Vogels finally donated their infantry of works by artists like Richard Tuttle, Chuck Close, Andy Warhol, Christo, and Linda Benglis to the National Gallery, their collection filled 5 1/2 semi trucks.
The film charts the Vogel's relationship, their passion for art and the natural way they have of communicating art appreciation. It also allows a great many artists who know them and have dealt directly with them over the years to speak of their generosity, intelligence, and the importance of the collection.
I find that people who don't always understand avant garde art (be it music, visual, cinema, etc.) feel like they're not smart in some way if they don't get it. If you've ever felt that way (we all have), it will be refreshing to hear the Vogels talk about how they entered into their relationship with art. This is an entertaining and heartwarming film - an often unbelievable story of how two low-income adults (who are really cute!) amassed a priceless art collection.