Richard Misrach’s fascination and fixation
We first met Richard while directing Art21’s Borderlands episode. Our conversations took us in a million and one directions, and he continually surprised us with the breadth and depth of his work. We soon understood this interplay was central to Richard’s process: he takes a deep dive into something, then shifts his attention to an entirely different project as if emerging from the deep sea for air. He described it as “whiplash.”
We saw ourselves reflected in his process: his observations, his fascination and fixation, how he photographs and photographs to no end—and his inability to throw any of it away. To him, the distance of time, and the editing process, reveal new ideas and meaning.
But it wasn’t until we read Myriam Weisang Misrach’s writings on Richard that we saw the whole picture. As Richard’s life partner for over three decades and a shrewd and observant writer in her own right, her insightful words proved to be the closest way of understanding the man behind the camera. She provided an intimate view into his passion, his unyielding determination, his never-ending search for new and different subject matter, while also pointing to what’s remained consistent from the beginning.
In this film, we felt compelled to bring Myriam and Richard’s voices together, much like their creative spirits nurture and feed each other. The result, we hope, offers a glimpse into a life and way of seeing the world that continues to inspire and amaze us.
Ava Wiland and Rafael Salazar Moreno
Directors; Richard Misrach: Never the Same
May 11, 2022
Event: Artist Talk with Richard Misrach
IMAGE: Richard Misrach, 2022. Production still from the Art21 Extended Play film, “Richard Misrach: Never the Same.” © Art21, Inc. 2022.
Join Art21 for a virtual public program on Monday, May 16 at 2:00 PM E.T.
Following a screening of a new Art21 film, Richard Misrach will be joined by his wife, Myriam Misrach, and the film’s directors, Ava Wiland and Rafael Salazar Moreno, for a conversation and Q&A.
The program is free and will take place via Zoom.
Explore: Community
IMAGE: Zanele Muholi photographs subjects in Johannesburg. Production still from the Art in the Twenty-First Century episode “Johannesburg.” © Art21, Inc. 2018.
Collapsing boundaries between artist and audience, the artists in our “Community” collection facilitate making by, with, and for a community.
Attend a portrait session in the Johannesburg townships with Zanele Muholi, propose playful solutions to urgent social problems with Pedro Reyes, and support immersive experiences with Andrea Zittel.
Virtual Teacher Workshop: Explore Community
IMAGE: Jaimie Warren and students in the Urban Youth Theater Ensemble at Abrons Arts Center in Manhattan. Production still from the New York Close Up episode “Welcome to Whoop Dee Doo! (with Matt Roche & Jaimie Warren Too).” © Art21, Inc. 2015.
Join Art21 for a virtual teacher workshop on Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 6:30 PM E.T.
In celebration of the new Explore function on Art21.org, Art21 will be hosting education programs around the themes, mediums, and narratives collected by Art21 staff. The “Community” theme groups artists who collapse the boundaries between artist and audience, and facilitate making by, with, and for communities. Jaimie Warren, Azikiwe Mohammed, and Creative Growth Art Center are among the artists utilizing this theme.
The program is free and will take place via Zoom.
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