L.A. Premiere: The Figures, An Abrstract on Geoffrey Young
About this Event
A lively portrait of poet, publisher and artist Geoffrey Young, The Figures traverses the studios of artists & writers in his orbit as they dive into a freewheeling volley on the art making practice, lineages and the essence of time & language itself. The Figures began as a small literary press but it continually charted new territory, championing one of the most influential movements in latter 20th century literature—“language poetry.” And The Geoffrey Young Gallery always shined a light on young artists just breaking onto the scene.
Following the screening of the film in The Wanda Coleman Theater, scholar Johanna Drucker will be moderating a Q&A with the documentary film's director Nadia Szold and poet, Geoffrey Young.
Click here to watch the trailer of the film.
About The Figures:
Geoffrey Young is an undeniable artist – in his life, conversation, and of course in his work. But he eschewed the traditional route of climbing the establishment ladder, instead operating parallel to the academic careerists. Yet he is no outsider artist. His thumb has always been on the pulse of the avant-garde, whether in art or poetry. The Figures began as a small literary press but it continually charted new territory, championing one of the most influential movements in latter 20th century literature—“language poetry.” And The Geoffrey Young Gallery always shined a light on young artists just breaking onto the scene.
Perhaps Geoffrey Young is the ultimate “insider artist.” A true poet’s poet. Certainly a significant figure worthy of a closer look. But what's a portrait of Geoffrey Young without the figures in his life? The full range of color in this documentary is derived from the many artists and writers who contextualize Geoffrey Young. In verité fashion, we traverse the studios of James Siena, Carroll Dunham, Kirsten Deirup, Sue Muskat and Phil Knoll. We speak with poets, Peter Gizzi, Joanna Drucker and Clark Coolidge, going from the Berkshire home of author Laura Chester to the Manhattan apartment of conceptual poet Kenneth Goldsmith. Young's enthusiasm for painting and “the word” is one of great stamina — consider the 135 books of poetry he published; 120 art exhibits featuring over 500 artists, as well as 40 of his own poetry chapbooks, soon to be published in a large book of Selected Writings.
Geoffrey Young continually props others up, but is himself hiding in plain sight—a poet alive with wit and depth, whose generosity of spirit reflects his philosophy that in order for art to find its resonance, it must be shared.
Doors Open: 1:30 PM I Screening + Q&A: 2:00 PM
About the filmmakers & authors:
Nadia Szold is an award-winning American filmmaker, a writer and a mother. Hailing from Great Barrington, MA, her first work as a director was at 17 with Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. She directed 14 plays performed in New England and New York before turning to film. Her first feature Joy de V., starring Claudia Cardinale and Evan Louison, premiered at Slamdance in 2013 to critical acclaim and a nod from the jury. The film traverses the five boroughs of New York, excavating the emotional rollercoaster of a relationship between a con-artist and his pregnant wife who disappears one morning. A Film Independent Fellow, Szold premiered her first documentary feature Larry Flynt for President at the 2021 Tribeca Festival to critical acclaim. Nadia has just completed her second documentary feature, a portrait on the poet Geoffrey Young titled The Figures. She is in development on a documentary about Naama Issachar and the practice of Russian hostage taking for prisoner exchanges. Szold has also optioned the rights to John Updike’s best-selling novel Marry Me and is currently adapting the work for the screen.
Geoffrey Young edited and published The Figures for 30 years, and now teaches a class at University at Albany in Art Criticism. For the last 15 years he has curated shows at his contemporary art gallery in Great Barrington, MA. He is the author of the following books of poetry: Pockets of Wheat, Cerulean Embankments, Lights Out, and Fickle Sonnets. Born in Los Angeles, he has lived in the east since 1982.
Johanna Drucker is Distinguished Professor and Breslauer Professor Emerita, Department of Information Studies at UCLA. She is internationally known for her work in the history of graphic design, typography, experimental poetry, fine art, and digital humanities as well as for her artist’s books and experimental typography. Her most recent book, Inventing the Alphabet, was published by University of Chicago Press in 2022. Other new titles include Visualization and Interpretation (MIT Press, 2020), and Iliazd: Meta-Biography of a Modernist (Johns Hopkins University Press 2020), with Introduction to Digital Humanities (Routledge Spring, 2021), and The JAB Anthology, with Brad Freeman (University of Iowa Press, 2023).
About Beyond Baroque
Beyond Baroque is one of the United States' leading independent Literary | Arts Centers and public spaces dedicated to expanding the public's knowledge of poetry, literature and art through cultural events and community interaction. Founded in 1968 as an experimental literary magazine, Beyond Baroque is based out of the original City Hall building in Venice, California. The Center offers a diverse variety of literary and arts programming including readings and workshops. The building also houses a bookstore with a large collection of new poetry books for sale.
Tickets will be available at the Beyond Baroque bookstore on the day of the event, but we recommend registering in advance through Eventbrite. Masks are encouraged while inside our center. Please arrive early.
Event attendees are expected to behave in a respectful and considerate manner while in our space. Beyond Baroque reserves the right to remove individuals from our events, virtual or otherwise, if they are not respecting the space, staff, fellow attendees, or performers.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00 to USD 11.49
