Gerald Fox

Last updated

Gerald Fox
Born (1963-07-14) 14 July 1963 (age 61)
South Africa
Education Harrow School
Alma mater Oxford University
Harvard University
Occupation(s)Filmmaker, producer and artist
Years active1989–present
Awards BAFTA
Website gerryfox.com

Gerald Fox (born 14 July 1963) is a director, producer and artist. He has directed arts documentary films and programs which were broadcast in the UK, South Africa and the US. [1] His moving image artworks have been showcased in solo and group exhibitions across a variety of galleries and museums, including Zabludowicz 176 Gallery. [2]

Contents

He has worked on various platforms, from ITV's The South Bank Show. Sky Arts, BBC and Channel 4 and even theatrically for Curzon, Picturehouse, and UK & US independent cinemas [3] His work has also been featured in art museums, including The Tate, Royal Academy [4] The Met, MOMA, National Gallery of Art (Washington), Uffizi and Centre Pompidou [5] Gerald's notable documentaries have covered an array of subjects, including Gilbert and George (BAFTA), Claes Oldenburg [6] Christian Boltanski, Gerhard Richter and Janine Jansen (Golden Prague). Gerald is a philanthropist and has served as BFI Member Governor from 2018 to 2022. [7] He won the Inyathelo Award for International Philanthropy in South Africa in 2012 along with his sister Jacqueline Fox. [8]

Early life and education

Fox was born on 14 July 1963 in South Africa. He was educated in Oxford where he directed a short film based on Samuel Johnson's story, 'The Fountains.' [9] After completing his studies, Gerry set out to travel the world, creating a captivating film titled 'Man in 6 Movements'. [10]

Career

In 1989, Gerald Fox began his career with the arts program, The South Bank Show. [11]

He produced his first piece on the concert pianist, John Ogdon [12] In 1992, he created and edited his own program for younger viewers called Opening Shot , which won awards at the Chicago International Film Festival and New York Festival. [13]

One of the documentaries Fox co-directed for the series, Opening shot: Out of the Dump was about destitute child photographers living on a rubbish dump in Guatemala City. This film won both the Adult Jury Award and Children's Jury Award for Best Documentary at The Chicago International Children's Film Festival in 1994. [14] In the same year he directed and produced a documentary film called Sitkovetsky. [15] Fox wrote, produced, and directed Johnny and the Dead , a drama series for LWT productions in 1995. [16] [17] In the same year, Fox produced a documentary on Swedish-American pop sculptor Claes Oldenburg. The film offered a glimpse into Oldenburg's artistic world, showcasing his installations featuring oversized replicas of everyday objects. [18] [19]

Fox's two-part documentary, The Fundamental Gilbert and George was released in 1996/7. [20] The film chronicles the life and works of artist duo Gilbert Prousch and George Passmore, with their formal appearance and manner, performance art, and photo-based works. The Fundamental Gilbert and George won a BAFTA, [21]

In 1999, Fox directed a TV documentary called Thomas Ades: Music for the 21st Century based on composer Thomas Ades. [22] In the same year, he directed a documentary where Melvyn Bragg interviews Warren Beatty. [23] He directed a documentary film based on the impact on AIDS in the Sub - Saharan Africa in 2001 known as Together we can: South Africa's Youth against AIDS. [24]

In 2004, Fox directed a documentary called Leaving Home, Coming Home: A Portrait of Robert Frank based on the life of Robert Frank. The film captures Frank reflecting on a lifetime of image making that produced The Americans. The film premiered at Rotterdam and TriBeCa Film Festivals. It won the Grierson Award for Best Arts Documentary, the RTS Best Arts Film, and The Grand Prize at FIFA, Montréal. [25]

In 2006, Fox made a film titled George Michael: I'm Your Man, which captured the singer's journey back to touring on the "25 Live" tour. [26] The following year, Fox directed documentary for the South Bank Show series titled Marianne Faithful: A Life in Song. [27]

In 2011, Fox directed and produced Mother's Milk . It was based on the novel by Edward St Aubyn and starred Adrian Dunbar, Jack Davenport and Margaret Tyzack. It won eight awards at the Monaco International Film Festival, including Best Film. [28] [29]

In 2012, Fox, in collaboration with producer Jacqueline Fox created a film titled Mandela: The World That Made Him for SABC 2. It depicts Mandela's childhood activities. [30] In 2014, he directed a documentary Marc Quinn Life support based on artist Marc Quinn. [31]

In 2017, Fox made a documentary Bill Viola: The Road to St. Paul's. This film showcases the life and work of Bill Viola, a video artist, and his wife and collaborator Kira Perov, [32] as they navigate a twelve-year journey to create two permanent video installations, Mary and Martyrs, in London's St Paul's Cathedral. [33] [34]

In 2018, Fox worked on a new project, Force of Nature Natalia , [35] a year-long portrait of dancer Natalia Osipova. Co-presented by Asterisk Films, Bird and Carrot, it offers access to Osipova's personal archive. [36] [37] In 2019, he directed the documentary Burning Man: Art on Fire, which was released in 2020. This film tells the tale of the art pieces that take center stage in the annual celebration of Burning Man. [38] [39]

In 2020, Fox directed another documentary titled Janine Jansen: Falling for Stradivari which was released in 2021. [40] The documentary won the Czech Television Award at the Golden Prague Awards 2021 and was nominated for the Official Selection for the 40th FIFA. [41] [42] [43]

Filmography

Film

YearTitle Director Producer
1993SitkovetskyYesYes
2001Together we can: South Africa's Youth against AIDSYesYes
2004 Leaving Home, Coming Home YesYes
2006George Michael: I'm Your ManYesYes
2007Marianne Faithful a life in songYesYes
2008Billy JoelYesYes
2008Cildo MerelesYesYes
2011 Mother's Milk YesYes
2012Mandela, the world that made himYesYes
2014Marc Quinn: Making WavesYesYes
2017Bill Viola the road to St PaulYesYes
2020 Force of Nature Natalia YesYes
2020Burning Man: Art on FireYesYes
2021 Janine Jansen: Falling of Stradivari YesYes

Television

YearTitle Director
1994Christian Boltanski: Dead or AliveYes
1995 Opening Shot Yes
1995 Johnny and the Dead (TV series) Yes
1996 Claes Oldenburg (documentary) Yes
1997 The Fundamental of Gilbert and George Yes
1999 Thomas Ades: Music for the 21st Century Yes
1999Warren BeattyYes
2003 Gerhard Richter (Documentary) Yes
2003Sitting DucksYes
2006Marianne Faithful: A Life in SongYes

Artworks and exhibitions

Fox is also a film artist who has done work on moving image and multi-screen film installations. [44] In 2008, Fox exhibited his first collection at the 176 The Zabludowicz Collection Gallery in Camden, London. titled Living London. [45] [46] In that same year, Fox also created Favela Descending, a six-screen installation presented at the Concrete and Glass Festival in Shoreditch, London. This installation takes viewers on a journey through Favela Minera, one of the most violent slums in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [47] accompanied by music by Ned Bigham, the visions created by Favela Descending provide a unique experience of life in a Rio slum [48] In 2009, Fox show the city of Venice through his cinematic multi-screen installation titled "Venice in Venice", which was showcased at Palazzo Dona during the Venice Biennale. The artwork portrayed the daily life, rituals, and traditions of the city, capturing its essence in a colorful and edgy display of colliding and contrasting images. [49] In 2010, Fox showcased his first solo exhibition at Eleven Fine Art in London, titled Venetian Impressions. The exhibition featured a series of video works inspired by 19th-century paintings of Venice, including works by artists such as Manet, Monet, and Renoir, all featuring gondolas in the city's canals [50] In 2017, Fox exhibited "Legacies: JMW Turner and Contemporary Art Practices" at New Art Gallery in Walsall, Birmingham. The exhibition was a group showcase that explored the influence of British artist, J.M.W Turner on contemporary art. [51] [52] He also exhibited "The Eternal Idol," a four-screen piece of Rodin's sculpture was employed by two live models. [53] [45]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicolas Roeg</span> English film director and cinematographer (1928–2018)

Nicolas Jack Roeg was an English film director and cinematographer, best known for directing Performance (1970), Walkabout (1971), Don't Look Now (1973), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), Bad Timing (1980) and The Witches (1990).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pop art</span> Art movement

Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the United Kingdom and the United States during the mid- to late-1950s. The movement presented a challenge to traditions of fine art by including imagery from popular and mass culture, such as advertising, comic books and mundane mass-produced objects. One of its aims is to use images of popular culture in art, emphasizing the banal or kitschy elements of any culture, most often through the use of irony. It is also associated with the artists' use of mechanical means of reproduction or rendering techniques. In pop art, material is sometimes visually removed from its known context, isolated, or combined with unrelated material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilbert & George</span> British artist duo

Gilbert Prousch, sometimes referred to as Gilbert Proesch, and George Passmore are artists who work together as the collaborative art duo Gilbert & George. They are known for their formal appearance and manner in performance art, and for their brightly coloured graphic-style photo-based artworks. In 2017 the pair celebrated their 50th anniversary as collaborators. In April 2023 Gilbert & George opened the Gilbert & George Centre in Heneage Street, London E1, to showcase their work in regular exhibitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve McQueen (director)</span> British film director and video artist (born 1969)

Sir Steve Rodney McQueen is a British film director, film producer, screenwriter, and video artist. Known for directing films that deal with intense subject matters, he has received several awards including an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and a Golden Globe Award. He was honoured with the BFI Fellowship in 2016 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2020 for services to art and film. In 2014, he was included in Time magazine's annual Time 100 list of the "most influential people in the world".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janine Jansen</span> Dutch violinist (born 1978)

Janine Jansen is a Dutch violinist and violist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Zimbalist</span> American filmmaker

Jeffrey Leib Nettler Zimbalist is an American filmmaker. He has been Academy Award shortlisted, has won a Peabody, a DuPont, 5 Emmy Awards with 17 Emmy nominations. He is the owner of film and television production company All Rise Films.

Sir Horace Shango Ové was a Trinidadian-born British filmmaker, photographer, painter and writer based in London, England. One of the leading black independent filmmakers to emerge in Britain in the post-war period, Ové was the first black British filmmaker to direct a feature-length film, Pressure (1976). In its retrospective documentary 100 Years of Cinema, the British Film Institute (BFI) declared: "Horace Ové is undoubtedly a pioneer in Black British history and his work provides a perspective on the Black experience in Britain."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Akomfrah</span> British artist, filmmaker, curator (born 1957)

Sir John Akomfrah is a Ghanaian-born British artist, writer, film director, screenwriter, theorist and curator of Ghanaian descent, whose "commitment to a radicalism both of politics and of cinematic form finds expression in all his films".

Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard are British artists and filmmakers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mania Akbari</span> Iranian filmmaker

Mania Akbari is an Iranian filmmaker, artist, writer, and curator whose works explore women's rights, marriage, sexual identity, disease and body image. Her style, in contrast to the long tradition of melodrama in Iranian cinema, is rooted in the visual arts and autobiography. Because of the taboo themes frankly discussed in her films and her opposition to censorship, she is considered one of the most controversial filmmakers in Iran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Kötting</span> British artist, writer, and filmmaker (born 1959)

Andrew Kötting is a British artist, writer, and filmmaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claes Oldenburg</span> Swedish-born American sculptor (1929–2022)

Claes Oldenburg was a Swedish-born American sculptor best known for his public art installations, typically featuring large replicas of everyday objects. Another theme in his work is soft sculpture versions of everyday objects. Many of his works were made in collaboration with his wife, Coosje van Bruggen, who died in 2009; they had been married for 32 years. Oldenburg lived and worked in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coosje van Bruggen</span> Dutch and American sculptor and painter

Coosje van Bruggen was a Dutch-born American sculptor, art historian, and critic. She collaborated extensively with her husband, Claes Oldenburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahman Motamedian</span>

Bahman Motamedian is an Iranian filmmaker, photographer, writer and script writer. He was born in Tehran, Iran. Motamedian belongs to the so-called "new wave" of Iranian cinema. Bahman Motamedian is also has been involved in over twenty works, including shorts film, documentaries film, video art and theater.
Motamedian made his first feature film, titled "Khastegi" in 2008. "Khastegi" was shown in the official selection of 65th Venice International Film Festival as the "surprise film" in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Scott (director)</span> British filmmaker, painter, draughtsman and printmaker

James Scott is a British filmmaker, painter, draughtsman and printmaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Maclean (artist)</span> Scottish multi-media artist

Rachel Maclean is a Scottish visual artist and filmmaker. She lives and works in Glasgow. Her films have shown widely in galleries, museums, film festivals, and on television. She has screened work at numerous festivals in the UK and internationally, such as Rotterdam International, Fantasia and BFI London Film Festival. She has received significant acclaim with solo shows at Tate Britain and The National Gallery, London, and she represented Scotland at the 2017 Venice Biennale with her film Spite Your Face. Her work A Whole New World (2014) won the prestigious Margaret Tate Award in 2013. She has twice been shortlisted for the Jarman Award, and achieved widespread critical praise for Feed Me at the British Art Show in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerry Fialka</span> American filmmaker

Gerry Fialka is an American experimental filmmaker, curator, lecturer, interviewer, and writer. He lectures and leads workshops on experimental film, avant-garde music and art, subversive social media, books by James Joyce, and Marshall McLuhan’s media theory. He was Frank Zappa’s archivist and production assistant for ten years, and also worked for George Carlin. LA Weekly has described Fialka as a “cultural revolutionary”.

Janine Jansen: Falling for Stradivari is a documentary film released in 2021 and was presented by Asterisk Films and Foxy Films in association with Sky Arts. It is a film about a violin maker, Antonio Stradivari told through the eyes of Janine Jansen. The film was directed by Gerald Fox, produced by Justine Waddell, featuring Janine Jansen. The film premiered at Curzon Mayfair and then released on other cinemas across the UK before its television premiere on Sky Arts and Now TV.

Thomas Ades: Music for 21st Century is a music documentary produced by LWT Productions in 1999. The documentary is based on the musical journey of Thomas Adès, a famous British composer, pianist, and conductor, focusing closely on two works: "Asyla", an orchestral work; and "Powder Her Face", an opera. The documentary was directed and produced by Gerald Fox, and was showcased on Channel 4.

The Fundamental Gilbert and George is two parts BAFTA award-winning documentary based on the life of two artists Gilbert Prousch and George Passmore, released in 1997 for the ITV series. The South Bank Show through LWT and RM arts. The film finds the essence of art and life in these two artists, directed and produced by Gerald Fox, featuring Melvyn Bragg, Andrew Graham-Dixon, Sarah Kent, Norman Rosenthal and David Sylvester.

References

  1. "Gerald Fox | IFFR". iffr.com. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  2. Collection, Zabludowicz. "Living London | Exhibition at Zabludowicz Collection, London Art Gallery". Zabludowicz Collection. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  3. "009 – FILM LEAVING HOME COMING HOME : A PORTRAIT DE ROBERT FRANK – Interview with Gerald Fox". www.thedarkroomrumour.com. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  4. "Gerald Fox". The Royal Drawing School. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  5. "About". Gerry Fox | Gerald Fox – filmmaker and artist. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  6. "Claes Oldenburg Documentary Film & Interview | MBP". Michael Blackwood Productions | Art & Architecture Documentaries. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  7. "BFI chairman Tim Richards welcomes five new governors to the BFI board". BFI. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  8. "Scene City: Africa's givers awarded". News24. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  9. "Johnson, "The Fountains"". jacklynch.net. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  10. Rusin, Dr John (26 January 2017). "6 Foundational Movement Patterns That Every Person On Earth Needs To Master". Dr. John Rusin – Exercise Science & Injury Prevention. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  11. "Gerald Fox". MUBI. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  12. "Virtuoso (1989)". BFI. Archived from the original on 6 July 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  13. Mendoza, N. f (1 August 1993). "Bravo brings the arts to kids in the serious yet fun 'Opening Shots'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  14. Reader, Chicago (26 October 1985). "Opening Shot: Out of the Dump". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  15. "Sitkovetsky (1993)". BFI. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  16. "Johnny and the Dead Part 1 (1995)". BFI. Archived from the original on 7 August 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  17. "Johnny and the Dead". Gerry Fox | Gerald Fox – filmmaker and artist. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  18. The South Bank Show: Claes Oldenburg (1996) – Gérald Fox | Cast and Crew | AllMovie , retrieved 14 May 2023
  19. "Claes Oldenburg (1996)". BFI. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  20. "The Fundamental Gilbert and George". Gerry Fox | Gerald Fox - filmmaker and artist. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  21. "The Fundamental Gilbert and George". Gerry Fox | Gerald Fox – filmmaker and artist. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  22. "Thomas Ades Music for the 21st Century (1999)". BFI. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  23. "Warren Beatty". www.tcm.com. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  24. www.oberon.nl, Oberon Amsterdam, together we can... youth against aids in south africa (2001) - Jacqueline Fox, Gerald Fox | IDFA , retrieved 17 May 2023
  25. DeFore, John (29 May 2019). "'Leaving Home, Coming Home: A Portrait of Robert Frank': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  26. "I'm Your Man – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  27. "Marianne Faithfull A Life in Song (2007)". BFI. Archived from the original on 14 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  28. Bradshaw, Peter (8 November 2012). "Mother's Milk – review". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  29. "The Film Festival Guild | IFFW 2011". Film Festival Guild. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  30. Phillips, Noel (12 December 2013). "Watch 'Mandela: The World That Made Him,' A Unique Documentary Recounting The Early Years Of Nelson Mandela". FLAVOURMAG. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  31. "Marc Quinn Making Waves". Gerry Fox | Gerald Fox - filmmaker and artist. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  32. "Bill Viola: The Road to St Paul's – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  33. Clarke, Cath (3 November 2017). "Bill Viola: The Road to St Paul's review – come all ye video art converts". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  34. "Bill Viola: The Road to St Paul's — can video art rise to sacred surroundings?". Financial Times. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  35. "Force of Nature Natalia". TV Guide. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  36. Force of Nature Natalia (2019) , retrieved 14 May 2023
  37. Force of Nature Natalia (2019) – Gérald Fox | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie , retrieved 14 May 2023
  38. "Burning Man: Art on Fire". Burning Man: Art on Fire. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  39. Clarke, Cath (20 August 2020). "Burning Man: Art on Fire review – impressive behind-the-scenes glimpse". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  40. pushsupport (14 August 2021). "Janine Jansen: "12 Stradivari"". Janine Jansen. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  41. "Janine Jansen: Falling For Stradivari". Bertha DocHouse. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  42. "An award-winning documentary: "Falling for Stradivari"". J&A Beares. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  43. Bradshaw, Peter (2 September 2021). "Janine Jansen: Falling for Stradivari review – violin virtuoso on a mission". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  44. "Artworks Archive". Gerry Fox | Gerald Fox - filmmaker and artist. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  45. 1 2 Collection, Zabludowicz. "Living London | Exhibition at Zabludowicz Collection, London Art Gallery". Zabludowicz Collection. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  46. "Living London: Gerry Fox - Exhibition at Zabludowicz Collection, London in London". ArtRabbit. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  47. "Favela Descending". Gerry Fox | Gerald Fox - filmmaker and artist. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  48. "Favela Descending". a-n The Artists Information Company. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  49. "Venice in Venice". Gerry Fox | Gerald Fox - filmmaker and artist. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  50. "Gerry Fox Eleven Fine Art London". 1995-2015.undo.net (in Italian). Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  51. "Legacies: JMW Turner and contemporary art practice | The New Art Gallery Walsall". thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  52. "About". Gerry Fox | Gerald Fox - filmmaker and artist. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  53. Harvard. "Eternal Idol | Harvard Art Museums". harvardartmuseums.org. Retrieved 16 May 2023.