Video: Julius Shulman - Visual Acoustics

[DavidC]

Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman - [1:47]


David

[DavidC]

NYT movie review - Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman (2008)


David

[peterm]

I enjoyed Visual Acoustics last night at the Nuart, and highly recommend it to any fans of modernist architecture and photography. Shulman's engaging, warm personality shines through as well as his eye for quality. I didn't realize that due to his disdain for postmodernist architecture, he actually went into retirement in the eighties. During the late 90's when the resurgence of interest in modernism began surfacing, he came out of retirement with a vengeance, and enjoyed one last decade of work, writing and educating.

There are interesting cinematic photomontage techniques employed and interviews with numerous scholars and architects, but most of all the movie reveals the soulful humanity of one of the most important figures in the history of twentieth century architecture.

[Paul Ringstrom]

I saw this film this afternoon and was very impressed. The only thing that I did not like was that some of the visuals moved along at such a pace that it made the captions difficult to read. The film was 90 minutes long, if they slowed it down it would have easily been over two hours. Not a length that most theaters like.

As Peter mentioned it is interspersed with some graphic animation that is very much in the flavor of the TV show "Mad Men", which was very much in keeping with the '60s time frame of much of the architecture.

As an added bonus the Director was in the audience and took questions afterwards.

He mentioned that it will be available on DVD next spring.

[peterm]

Christopher Hawthorne always digs deeper. This is a thoughtful review:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culture ... s-out.html

What he does omit, however, are the many modernist social housing projects which Shulman did photograph, but were not included in the film.

[Paul Ringstrom]

For those of you who missed it when it was recently screened in Chicago here is another opportunity...

Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman

Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman
Director: Eric Bricker, 2008, USA, 83 minutes, color, video

Narrated by Dustin Hoffman, Visual Accoustics celebrates the life and career of Julius Shulman, the world's greatest architectural photographer, whose images brought modern architecture to the American mainstream. Shulman, who passed away in July of 2009, captured the work of nearly every major modern and progressive architect since the 1930s including Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, John Lautner, and Frank Gehry. His images epitomized the singular beauty of Southern California's modernist movement and brought its iconic structures to the attention of the general public. This unique film is both a testament to the evolution of modern architecture and a joyful portrait of the magnetic, whip-smart gentleman who chronicled it with his unforgettable images.

As part of the Robie House Centennial Celebration programming, the Preservation Trust will co-present a screening of Visual Acoustics on Saturday, February 6. 2pm matinee. Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust members receive discounted admission of $4.

Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art
40 Arts Circle Drive
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

[Paul Ringstrom]

Visual Acoustics: the Modernism of Julius Shulman w/BlueRay DVD

https://mailchi.mp/f4d87d36ef5c/the-gif ... bcb3030c02

[SDR]

It's good to see a revival of this important film; we are so richly endowed with media, now, that many worthy efforts are soon buried under newer content.

Thanks for finding the earlier thread on the subject, to which to add new info, Paul---much appreciated !

S