Pre-screening of 'Sketches of Frank Gehry' by Sidney Pollack

Today I had the pleasure and privilege of seeing the new Sidney Pollack documentary on Frank Gehry. Done in a very raw hand held-style whereby Sidney Pollack himself became part and parcel of the footage, this films reveals much about the inner working and inspirations of an architect whose architectural buildings have all but won him International acclaim. Through straightforward questions, Frank answers back. No high brow intellectual jargon that architects are all to eager to impress. Pollack films Frank creating and designing using simple tools: paper and sissors and human miniatures to give the buildings a sense of scale. To the architect in me (I have an architecture degree from the University of Toronto), I relate completely to what he doing. No doubt the public might gasp at how primitive it appears. Having met Frank at a lecture when I just finished my studies in Toronto, I felt he was just an okay architect at the time. But as the years passed, I began to see his work taking on a greater and even more experimental side. I began to see his art and creativity blossom. This documentary is somewhat timely for me, as it reveals to me that artists have to take risks, but only for what is his own set of limitations and moral belief. I believe that Frank is truly genius. His pencil sketches are videotaped up close. I mean, really close to the point we can see the graphite texture etched into the paper. Sidney realizes and understands that these are his first tools to realizing a concept. The energy contained in them are priceless, as they directly come from Gehry's creative mind. This documentary may not dazzle the ordinary layman, but to anyone that has visited the Bilbao Museum in Spain, you will find this a fascinating account of a brilliant and master creator.