The Sculpture Diaries

The feminine form has inspired artists for thousands of years—but have the results done justice or injustice to women? What specifically does the history of sculpture tell us about attitudes toward womanhood and ideas of feminine beauty? British art critic Waldemar Januszczak addresses those questions in this challenging, eye-opening program. After tracing the representation of women from the prehistoric Venus of Willendorf and Venus de Milo to Marc Quinn’s controversial depiction of pregnancy, Januszczak visits a plastic surgeon who shows how “perfection” can be achieved by “improving” the image of Victoria Beckham. He also meets body sculptress Orlan, who has undergone numerous operations to turn her body into a work of art. Contains mature imagery and subject matter.

Art isn’t always for art’s sake—a reality that is all too clear when political figures commandeer the artistic process for their own gain. Dictators and tyrants are experts at this, but even free societies use art to lionize their political heroes. And what medium is most suited to the glorification of leaders past and present? Public sculpture. This film examines the ways in which three-dimensional art is used to perpetuate power and carry on historical legacies. British critic Waldemar Januszczak guides viewers through a global gallery of sculptural examples—such as statues of Vladimir Lenin, which depict him as a dominant presence despite his slight physique; Mount Rushmore, where four massive visages of U.S. presidents elicit awe from tourists and ire from Native Americans; and Michelangelo’s iconic David, a work of both beauty and inconsistency. Contains mature imagery and subject matter.

Sculpture likely began as a form of spiritual expression, celebrating life and death and the connection both have to the Earth. Thousands of years later, that aspect of sculpture is still difficult to dismiss. This program follows British critic Waldemar Januszczak as he travels across North and South America, encountering stunning examples of sculpture tied to nature and the physical environment. From Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty and Nancy Holt’s Sun Tunnels in the U.S. to the ancient Inca settlement of Machu Picchu in Peru, Januszczak is determined to unlock sculpture’s inextricable link with the planet’s surface—and, in turn, with the cosmos. Decoding ancient Stonehenge, uncovering the mystery of Peru’s Nazca Lines, and building brand new sculptures with modern landscape artist Andy Goldsworthy, Januszczak offers an artistic journey that viewers won’t soon forget. Contains mature imagery and subject matter.