Warren Forma
Encyclopedia
Warren Forma is an American filmmaker and author, best known for his "Artists at Work" documentary film series and book on European and American painters and sculptors in the 1960s and 1970s, his 1973 novel The Falling Man, which contrasts the violence of 1920's Ireland and 1940's Harlem, New York, and "They Were Ragtime", Forma's 1976 illustrated history of American cultural icons and political and economic movers and shakers in the "Ragtime" era of 1892 to 1917.
Early Years. Born 1923 Manhattan, New York. Attended P.S. 6 Elementary School.
Military Service. During World War 2, Forma enlisted in the United States Air Force. He took part in 65 combat missions over France and Germany as navigator and bombardier aboard Douglas A-20 Havoc light bombers in the 670th and 668th Squadrons of the 416th Bombardment Group. His skills as navigator & bombardier, much praised in the Operational History, 668th Bomb Squadron earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross. Following his discharge, Forma enlisted in the United States Army and served as an infantryman in the closing months of the European theatre.
Postwar 1946 - 1979. After the war Forma studied at New York University at night while driving an electric delivery truck for the Ward Baking Company
. In 1946, with encouragement from photographer William Helburn, Forma embarked on a career as an agent/representative for photographers, including Helburn, Ben Somoroff and Arnold Newman
, and later, cinematographers Laszlo Kovacs
, Harold Becker
, and Haskell Wexler
.
Filmmaking While pursuing his career as photographers' and film makers' agent, Forma independently produced and directed his own films. This began in 1954; when asked to document Helburn's auto racing efforts, Forma purchased a 16mm film camera, rented a helicopter, and did so. His resulting film, "Man and Car" received a positive reaction, setting the stage for his award winning documentary series "Artists at Work".
Artists At Work Film Documentary Series 1963 - 1967.
Forma's film studies of 23 artists at work in their studios received widespread recognition and awards for their detailed and candid interviews and detailed portrayals of living artists at their labors. The films were commissioned and aired by National Educational Television
, CBS and ABC in the United States, and distributed throughout Canada, Australia, Japan and West Germany.
The Artists at Work" documentaries include
Forma's Books.
Early Years. Born 1923 Manhattan, New York. Attended P.S. 6 Elementary School.
Military Service. During World War 2, Forma enlisted in the United States Air Force. He took part in 65 combat missions over France and Germany as navigator and bombardier aboard Douglas A-20 Havoc light bombers in the 670th and 668th Squadrons of the 416th Bombardment Group. His skills as navigator & bombardier, much praised in the Operational History, 668th Bomb Squadron earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross. Following his discharge, Forma enlisted in the United States Army and served as an infantryman in the closing months of the European theatre.
Postwar 1946 - 1979. After the war Forma studied at New York University at night while driving an electric delivery truck for the Ward Baking Company
Ward Baking Company Building
Ward Baking Company Building800 Pacific StreetBrooklyn, New YorkDate of completion: 1911Original Function: BakeryToday, March 26, 2007, Developer Forest City Ratner of this architecturally and socially significant historic building, for its "Atlantic Yards" project in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn...
. In 1946, with encouragement from photographer William Helburn, Forma embarked on a career as an agent/representative for photographers, including Helburn, Ben Somoroff and Arnold Newman
Arnold Newman
Arnold Abner Newman was an American photographer, noted for his "environmental portraits" of artists and politicians...
, and later, cinematographers Laszlo Kovacs
László Kovács (cinematographer)
László Kovács, A.S.C. was a Hungarian cinematographer who was influential in the development of American New Wave films. Most famous for his award-winning work on Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces, Kovács was the recipient of numerous awards, including three Lifetime Achievement Awards...
, Harold Becker
Harold Becker
Harold Becker is American film director and producer from New York.-Biography:After studying art and photography at the Pratt Institute, Becker began his career as a still photographer, but later tried his hand at directing television commercials, short films and documentaries...
, and Haskell Wexler
Haskell Wexler
Haskell Wexler, A.S.C. is an American cinematographer, film producer, and director. Wexler was judged to be one of film history's ten most influential cinematographers in a survey of the members of the International Cinematographers Guild.-Early life and education:Wexler was born to a Jewish...
.
Filmmaking While pursuing his career as photographers' and film makers' agent, Forma independently produced and directed his own films. This began in 1954; when asked to document Helburn's auto racing efforts, Forma purchased a 16mm film camera, rented a helicopter, and did so. His resulting film, "Man and Car" received a positive reaction, setting the stage for his award winning documentary series "Artists at Work".
Artists At Work Film Documentary Series 1963 - 1967.
Forma's film studies of 23 artists at work in their studios received widespread recognition and awards for their detailed and candid interviews and detailed portrayals of living artists at their labors. The films were commissioned and aired by National Educational Television
National Educational Television
National Educational Television was an American non-commercial educational public television network in the United States from May 16, 1954 to October 4, 1970...
, CBS and ABC in the United States, and distributed throughout Canada, Australia, Japan and West Germany.
The Artists at Work" documentaries include
- "School of Paris: (5 Artists at Work)" 1963 Study of contemporary artists Hans HartungHans HartungHans Hartung was a German-French painter, known for his gestural abstract style. He was also a decorated World War II veteran of the French Foreign Legion.-Life:...
, Claude Weisbuch, Günter FruhtrunkGünter FruhtrunkGünter Fruhtrunk was a German painter and printmaker, who is classified as a geometric abstract artist and whose work relates to Op Art....
, Jean Dewasne and di Tiena. - "5 British Sculptors (Work and Talk) Henry Moore, Reg Butler, Barbara Hepworth, Lynn Chadwick, Kenneth Armitage". 1964 A study of sculptors Reg ButlerReg ButlerReginald Cotterell Butler was an English sculptor. He studied and lectured at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London from 1937 to 1939. He was a conscientious objector during the Second World War, being exempted from military service conditional upon setting up a small...
, Barbara HepworthBarbara HepworthDame Barbara Hepworth DBE was an English sculptor. Her work exemplifies Modernism, and with such contemporaries as Ivon Hitchens, Henry Moore, Ben Nicholson, Naum Gabo she helped to develop modern art in Britain.-Life and work:Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth was born on 10 January 1903 in Wakefield,...
, Kenneth ArmitageKenneth ArmitageWilliam Kenneth Armitage CBE was a British sculptor known for his semiabstract bronzes.-Biography:...
, Lynn ChadwickLynn ChadwickLynn Russell Chadwick CBE was an English artist and sculptor trained as an architectural draughtsman,but began producing metal mobile sculpture during the 1940s. Chadwick was born in London and went to Merchant Taylor's School.Chadwick was commissioned to produce 3 works for the 1951 Festival of...
and Henry MooreHenry MooreHenry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art....
. 28 minutes. - "Images of Leonard Baskin" 1966 Life and work of sculptor and print maker Leonard BaskinLeonard BaskinLeonard Baskin was an American sculptor, book-illustrator, wood-engraver, printmaker, graphic artist, writer and teacher.-Life and work:...
at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. - "Weapons of Gordon Parks" 1967. Documentary of the life of the internationally renowned black photographer for Life Magazine: Gordon ParksGordon ParksGordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks was a groundbreaking American photographer, musician, poet, novelist, journalist, activist and film director...
. - "Possibilities of Agam" 1967 Documentary of the Israeli kinetic artist & philosopher Yacov Agam. In 1980, Forma produced a second film on Agam entitled: "Agam and...".
- "Seven Roman Artists." 1967 New developments in Italian Painting and sculpture including the work of futurist Gino SeveriniGino SeveriniGino Severini , was an Italian painter and a leading member of the Futurist movement. For much of his life he divided his time between Paris and Rome. He was associated with neo-classicism and the "return to order" in the decade after the First World War. During his career he worked in a variety of...
, Pietro ConsagraPietro ConsagraPietro Consagra was one of Italy's leading postwar sculptors. Consagra was born in Mazara del Vallo, a town in western Sicily, on October 4. His father, a traveling salesman, did not register his birth until October 6. Consagra attended the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Palermo...
, Franchina, Afro BasaldellaAfro BasaldellaAfro Basaldella was an Italian painter and a member of the Scuola Romana. He was generally known by the single name Afro....
, Antonio Corpora, Piero Dorazio, Alberto BurriAlberto BurriAlberto Burri , was an Italian abstract painter and sculptor. Città di Castello has memorialized him with a large permanent museum of his works....
and Roberto MattaRoberto MattaRoberto Sebastián Antonio Matta Echaurren , better known as Roberto Matta, was one of Chile's best-known painters and a seminal figure in 20th century abstract expressionist and surrealist art....
. - "The Americans" Documents three East-coast painters - Jack TworkovJack TworkovJack Tworkov was a Polish born American abstract expressionist painter.He was born in Biała Podlaska, Russian Empire and immigrated to the United States in 1913 with his mother and younger sister who would later become known as Janice Biala...
, Hans HofmannHans HofmannHans Hofmann was a German-born American abstract expressionist painter.-Biography:Hofmann was born in Weißenburg, Bavaria on March 21, 1880, the son of Theodor and Franziska Hofmann. When he was six he moved with his family to Munich...
and Milton AveryMilton AveryMilton Avery was an American modern painter. Born in Altmar, New York, he moved to Connecticut in 1898 and later to New York City.-Biography:...
.
Forma's Books.
- "Artists at Work" A companion volume to the eponymous film series, the book offers a close look into the minds of twenty three active artists from England, France, Italy, the United States and Israel over the period 1964 to 1967.
- "The Falling Man" 1973. This novel compares and interweaves the violence of 1920s Ireland and 1940s Harlem, from the vantage point of an injured, dying policeman.
- "They Were Ragtime" 1976 An illustrated history of American cultural icons and political and economic movers and shakers in the "Ragtime" era of 1892 to 1917.
- "The Day God Smiled." 2010. Historic fiction chronicling events of the second half of the 20th century through three generations of an American family.
