Michael Klein is well on his way building a legacy in the contemporary realist art scene. In a relatively short period he has taken large steps and now works atop a self-made podium where he is playing a vital role as artist, journalist and producer. Klein approaches everything artfully. He has produced two art DVDs,
Flower Painting and
Black Dress, in addition to starting
American Painting Video Magazine. Each are beautifully crafted projects.
At the beginning of
Black Dress the credits on screen read, “An instructional documentary by Michael Klein.”
Michael Klein is defining a niche that is between an instructional art DVD and a documentary. It is important to consider this category when evaluating his DVDs. The objective is not to teach you how to paint. It is more of an insight into Michael Klein and each particular project.
Introspective documentary may appropriately describe a special category for Michael Klein’s DVDs.
Many painters use the same choice of colors on the palette or begin with a line drawing, for that matter, there is nothing particularly uncommon about what Michael does on the surface with the exception of maintaining an organic studio environment free from electronics i.e. computers, radios, telephones, etc. In the intermittent breaks of dialog Michael shares ideas related to his psychology of painting. He touches on some of the things he thinks about while painting, the logic behind some choices and he talks in a broad sense about his procedural preferences as a painter.
Inspired by Antonio López García’s
El Sol del Membrillo,
Flower Painting improves upon the concept by eliminating superfluous material and utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and dramatic cinematography. Every frame is beautifully composed. The DVD production is a work of art in itself. Although it appears to have been designed as an art DVD to be marketed to artists, its true audience could easily be the general public. There is nothing too technical and narrow of focus. Instead it serves as an insightful glimpse at the studio activity of a traditional artist. Anyone curious and wondering what it looks like to execute a painting would enjoy this film. The painting would certainly appeal to a broad audience.
There is a
Flower Painting DVD and
Flower Painting book (a 78 page guide). I viewed the DVD then read the companion book. The DVD presentation breaks up the painting process with interview footage. Michael is contemplative and low-key when speaking on camera (that’s better than the majority of us, right?). The book is well written, excels at conveying related information and requires some participation in the process. The included reproductions of Michael’s work are excellent. The book adds a tactile dimension to the experience. I prefer reading off paper. The DVD and book stand on their own and compliment each other.
Black Dress has a narrower focus and would be more appealing to artists than the general public. I do not think a solid black colored dress and a model with black hair were the ideal choices for an art DVD given the limitations and variables involved in translating inherent color subtleties from life to your viewing screen. There is also a significant percentage of
Black Dress that is presented in silence without any commentary. In my opinion this DVD would benefit from a narration track.
Both DVDs follow similar outlines. The main differences aside from the subjects being painted are the steps that have been included or left out and changes in the procedure. The format is less effective in
Black Dress. Michael works on the painting for periods of time in silence then he is seen describing a little about what has been taking place to someone off camera. Depending on the activity taking place breaking up the process with dialog footage can be less effective than simultaneous narration whether done live or overdubbed. The activity in
Flower Painting is self-explanatory. In
Black Dress, there are points when we need to hear about that which cannot be communicated through silent action. The process can linger too long at certain stages and seem a little redundant. By stopping the action and inserting segments of Michael talking with no further progress taking place on the painting the flow is disrupted and accentuates the absence of information. At times the presentation in
Black Dress tends to alternate between minimal audio information and minimal advancement on the painting.
In
Flower Painting we see a full story arc from preparing the rose bush to planting it in the garden after the painting has been completed. It is robust with details contributing to the theme, (i.e. pruning the rose bush, stretching the canvas, completing a preliminary line drawing later to be gridded out and reproduced on the canvas, etc.). However,
Black Dress begins after the canvas has been prepared and the model has taken position in the studio with the pose already chosen. Michael sketches out a contour drawing directly on the canvas then proceeds with the paint application. The subject itself is limited on several levels. Color and complexity of the composition aside, with cameras rolling an equal amount of time devoted to painting leaves or a rose in silence is more informative than the same amount devoted to painting solid black material.
On the other hand, this is another opportunity to witness a competent artist executing a painting in real-time. Even though producing art DVDs is becoming more popular the chance to see high caliber artists at work should not be taken for granted. Michael is one of the more interesting artists to observe handling a brush and paint. Michael shares insightful information. The presentation is beautifully filmed in his studio. Ultimately, Michael completes an exquisite painting.
Judging by his track record thus far there is more to come from Michael Klein. With regards to recommendations,
Flower Painting with the accompanying guide should be a part of everyone’s collection.
Black Dress when viewed as part of a library-in-process is strong in its own right. During the interim stage while it is the single piece along side
Flower Painting, an exceptionally strong project, it naturally looks pale. By and large it still shines in the art DVD market. In spite of the problems using solid black material in an art DVD Michael pulls it off.
Black Dress is also a good demonstration of painting black hair. Michael Klein nails them both. In many ways it can be beneficial to observe artists working on different projects. If you can fit it into your budget and especially if you are not on a budget, consider adding
Black Dress to your art DVD collection.
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Running Time: 110 Minutes
Rating: Art
Summary: A work of art in itself, this DVD is inspired by Antonio López García's El Sol del Membrillo. State-of-the-art technology and the benefit of hindsight result in a beautiful documentary that will appeal to anyone with an interest in seeing a traditional fine artist at work in his studio. Michael Klein is a talented and skilled painter. This art DVD and the companion book are, both, insightful and enjoyable. The DVD and book stand on their own and compliment each other.
Rating: Art
78 pages
Summary: This small book provides many details about Michael Klein's background and adds insight with regards to the Flower Painting project. It is very well written and contains quality reproductions of Michael's paintings. It can be read on its own without viewing the DVD. It also supports the DVD. It is definitely worth having.
Running Time: 110 Minutes
Rating: Art
Summary: An introspective documentary, this art DVD captures Michael in his studio working with a model. Michael touches on some of the things he considers while executing the painting, the logic behind some methods and he talks in a broad sense about his procedural preferences as a painter. This presentation features good examples of rendering black hair and of course modeling black satin fabric in paint.
Images © Michael Klein.
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Black Dress has a narrower focus and would be more appealing to artists than the general public. I do not think a solid black colored dress and a model with black hair were the ideal choices for an art DVD given the limitations and variables involved in translating inherent color subtleties from life to your viewing screen. There is also a significant percentage of Black Dress that is presented in silence without any commentary. In my opinion this DVD would benefit from a narration track. 
In Flower Painting we see a full story arc from preparing the rose bush to planting it in the garden after the painting has been completed. It is robust with details contributing to the theme, (i.e. pruning the rose bush, stretching the canvas, completing a preliminary line drawing later to be gridded out and reproduced on the canvas, etc.). However, Black Dress begins after the canvas has been prepared and the model has taken position in the studio with the pose already chosen. Michael sketches out a contour drawing directly on the canvas then proceeds with the paint application. The subject itself is limited on several levels. Color and complexity of the composition aside, with cameras rolling an equal amount of time devoted to painting leaves or a rose in silence is more informative than the same amount devoted to painting solid black material.
