This award-winning
documentary profiles three "outsider artists" from Chicago. Each is a
seeker – and discoverer – of hidden possibilities.
Through
a Glass, Lightly follows Mr. Imagination, David Philpot, and Kevin Orth as they search
Chicago’s streets and alleys for the raw materials of their work. In weeds and bottle
caps, rusted metal and broken glass, things thrown away and places abandoned, lies the
stuff of art. Possibilities abound if only we will only look.
We see how the artists transform unwanted, discarded
objects into color, form, texture; images and ideas; craft and art. The artists reveal how
they have transformed themselves into artists, and how African and other cultures have
shaped their vision. And so, though ostensibly about outsider artists, Through a Glass,
Lightly addresses broader themes: multiculturalism, the impact on environment, inner
city life, and the creative process and self-esteem. The artists talk of seeing
differently, appreciating the world around us, and having relations with people and the
environment that are "more careful and loving and sacred."
"This wonderful video will
stimulate anyone's imagination... this video addresses broader themes of
inner-city life, multiculturalism and finding one self in creative work. A
perfect video for high school students and adults."
-- Susan Owe,
Library Journal
“…appropriate viewing for all age and audience levels, in both academic and
public libraries. … the program goes beyond the obvious one of art, to
include environmental, urban, and multicultural studies.”
Rue Herbert,
MC Journal:
The Journal of Academic Media Librarianship
Full Review
"The video is one of the best
productions of its kind…"
--
Art Muscle Magazine
"Thank you so much for your
beautiful work. You have recorded some amazing expressions of creativity,
and showed the human spirit at its best."
-- Charlotte Hart, Artist &
Art Teacher, Chicago, IL..
