11 Mar 2011

A NewArtTV.com Studio Visit: Dennis Oppenheim

Dennis Oppenheim, who died in January 2011, granted me this studio visit and interview in December of 2007. I set the footage aside, primarily because Dennis was unwell when we did the interview - he was already dealing with a serious medical problem, and he looked frail, vulnerable, preoccupied, and I wasn't entirely comfortable about presenting him on video in his condition. But with his characteristic generosity he spent two hours with me reflecting on his work, and as I reviewed the footage in the wake of his death I saw that whatever ailment he had, had done nothing to dull a remarkable intelligence, thoughtfulness and self-knowledge. So here it is after all these years, 13 minutes with Dennis Oppenheim, one of the seminal figures of land art, leading figure in public art, and as the arc of his career demonstrates, possessed of a constant urge toward creative exploration and reinvention.
--Robert Knafo / Producer /NewArtTV.com

This studio visit with Dennis Oppenheim is the latest production in an ongoing series of documentary videos produced for and published on NewArtTV.com, a online video channel dedicated to documenting the contemporary art landscape. Since its debut in january 2008, NewArtTV.com has published nearly 200 videos on some of the most important established and emerging artists working today.