What is it? 

Watch artist Anna Heplers work evolve - and listen while she explores topics from printmaking to philosophy - as she traverses the U.S and three remarkable bodies of work emerge.

 

Beginning in Portland, Maine with the fabrication of a large-scale installation made of scavenged materials, this documentary film will follow Anna as she manipulates plastic, tape, tarps and thread into a series of sculptural forms that ultimately transcend the everyday quality of their origins. Simultaneously, she is developing a series of prints that reference her three-dimensional work in a volleying dialog that explores and builds upon a continually shifting lexicon of forms.

 

Already an innovative force in contemporary visual art, with work included in collections from the Tate Gallery to the DeCordova; Anna approaches her art as a continual crossroads, sometimes looping and doubling back, but always moving. This feature-length film will follow her to Roswell, NM and on to Seattle as she continue to creates new work, from hand-size ceramics to room-size prints. Continually exploring the boundaries of process and form, Anna pushes on into the unknown.

How it started

This project began as a short documentary video commissioned by the Portland Museum of Art and screened concurrently with Anna's installation there in August-October of 2010. As soon as filming began, the potential for something much more in-depth and expansive than the short became apparent. Coupled with a seemingly effortless, yet deliberate control of a variety of mediums, her constant output of a variety of work and engaging screen presence makes Anna an ideal spokesperson through which a greater understanding of the effort required to develop and produce innovative visual art can be communicated to a broad audience.

Where we're taking it

Now on it's way to becoming a feature-length (40-60 min) film, this documentary will follow Anna through the development of three bodies of work for separate exhibits spanning North America. Her process will be recorded over the course of nearly a year and in several different environments.

Continuing the narrative that begins in Maine, we (co-directors and co-producers David Camlin and Petra Simmons) will travel first to Roswell, New Mexico where Anna will be working on a new body of work and also preparing for her next exhibit. We will then travel to Seattle to meet her and film the fabrication and installation of her work at Suyama Space in late April.

Always willing to re-examine her motivations to create and how the work itself is influenced by the institution that supports it, Anna allows these unresolved questions to play out in the conception and delivery of her ideas. Because of its personal and expressive nature, art-making is an ideal lens through which people of all vocations may look at the value of their own work, what it represents to them as individuals and as members of communities, influential trends and cultural movements.

We estimate that we will need a total of $9,500 to complete the feature-length piece and are currently pursuing funding through other sources such as grants and community fund-raising events. Any and all help is deeply appreciated. 

The Impact

As well as providing a portrait of one inspiring individual, compelling documentation of the arts can be instrumental in increasing the value we assign art as a culture. It is our hope that this type of documentary helps to make art-making and it's processes accessible to a broad audience and inspires others to consider the role of creativity  in their everyday lives. We plan to screen it in various arts venues and theaters around the country and Maine Public Broadcasting has already expressed its potential interest in airing the finished film. 

Because we've filled all roles (camera operator, editor, sound, interviewer, etc.) ourselves and due to the generosity of friends who've lent their equipment - up until this point we've been able to operate on a very small budget of $2500. However, the next phases of this project involve unavoidable costs associated with travel and and necessary equipment. We ask for your help to cover these in order to finish this film!

Other Ways You Can Help

While financial help is needed and much appreciated there are other ways you can help! For instance:

Donate equipment

Everything shot to date has been done on borrowed equipment - while we appreciate the trust and generosity of those who have lent theirs, we'd love to have our own so we can finish this piece and make many more! If you think that this is something you could help with, contact us directly for more information.

Help us tell other people about our project

We tremendously appreciate the support of our community and we believe that this project has relevance and impact beyond our sphere. Do you know people who you think would enjoy this film? Please tell them! Would you like to plan a screening? Let us know!