Monday, June 18, 2007
The Power of Art
PBS began airing a series on art tonight. The Power of Art first tackles Van Gogh, a great spirit who most likely struggled with more physical maladies than epilepsy alone, but managed to produce a fantastic body of work, a victory of the heart. But PBS, with all its New Age affectations, can only go so far with their cultural offerings — they are clueless about how to present material of value about painting, or culture in general. PBS is good with animal shows. The very smugness PBS has about their superiority to the popular culture betrays itself in this show as they attempt (and fail at) the same sensationalistic hollowness mainstream TV long ago mastered.
This first part of the series accrues to a disjointed embarrassment. A putative examination of Van Gogh, The Power of Art almost from the start disconnects from its subject, as a frenetic confused director and overwrought editor tries to charge it with a fake energy. It is like a commercial for sneakers. The truth is, the filmmakers never trusted the audience — or understood the power of art.
How the fine writer Simon Schama got involved with this lost in space project is beyond me.