Shirley Clarke's Radical Life and Art Chronicled in New Biography
Laurence Kardish's new biography of Shirley Clarke, published by University Press of Kentucky, explores the radical life and art of the influential filmmaker. Born in 1919, Clarke, who was initially a dancer studying under Martha Graham, directed four significant features: "The Connection," "The Cool World," "Portrait of Jason," and "Ornette: Made in America." Her politically charged films focused on Black male experiences. Clarke founded the Tee Pee Video Space Troupe and taught at UCLA, impacting the L.A. Rebellion filmmakers. Despite efforts like Milestone Film and Video's "Project Shirley," the rerelease of "The Cool World" remains blocked by rights holder Frederick Wiseman.
Key facts
- Laurence Kardish's biography of Shirley Clarke is published by University Press of Kentucky.
- Clarke completed only four features: 'The Connection' (1961), 'The Cool World' (1963), 'Portrait of Jason' (1967), and 'Ornette: Made in America' (1985).
- Clarke was born in 1919 and died in 1997.
- She was a dancer before becoming a filmmaker, studying with Martha Graham and others.
- Her films focused on Black men and were politically charged.
- She used heroin and had a relationship with actor Carl Lee.
- In 1969, she received a grant for video work and founded the Tee Pee Video Space Troupe.
- She taught at UCLA, influencing the L.A. Rebellion filmmakers.
- Milestone Film and Video launched 'Project Shirley' in 2009 to restore and release her films.
- Frederick Wiseman, rights holder of 'The Cool World,' refused to allow its rerelease.
Entities
Artists
- Shirley Clarke
- Laurence Kardish
- Elaine Dundy
- Martha Graham
- Michel Fokine
- Merce Cunningham
- José Limón
- Hanya Holm
- Kip Kiernan
- Tennessee Williams
- Uday Shankar
- Bert Clarke
- Wendy Clarke
- Daniel Nagrin
- Maya Deren
- Jonas Mekas
- Judith Malina
- Julian Beck
- Willard Van Dyke
- Richard Leacock
- D. A. Pennebaker
- Jackie McLean
- Freddie Redd
- Carl Lee
- Allen Ginsberg
- Robert Frost
- Stewart Udall
- Warren Miller
- Madeline Anderson
- Jason Holliday
- Andy Warhol
- Norman Mailer
- Ossie Davis
- Ruby Dee
- Arthur Miller
- Robert Lowell
- Jacques Rivette
- Yoko Ono
- Ornette Coleman
- Denardo Coleman
- Susan Sontag
- Patti Smith
- Robert Mapplethorpe
- Peter Brook
- Nicholas Ray
- Shelley Winters
- Peter Bogdanovich
- Jean-Pierre Léaud
- Louis Malle
- Roger Corman
- Jonathan Demme
- Julie Dash
- Sam Shepard
- Joan Didion
- Ed Lachman
- Wim Wenders
- Werner Herzog
- Jean-Luc Godard
- David Cort
- Piper Cort
- John Cassavetes
- Gena Rowlands
- Michael Roemer
- Agnès Varda
- Kenneth Tynan
- Jack Gelber
- Frederick Wiseman
- Henry Wallace
- Earl Browder
- Emmett Till
- Betty Clarke
Institutions
- University Press of Kentucky
- Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
- Hunter College
- Bennington College
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Carnegie Hall
- Living Theatre
- Anthology Film Archives
- City College
- Brussels World's Fair
- Venice Film Festival
- Cannes Film Festival
- Hotel Chelsea
- New American Cinema Group
- Film-Makers' Distribution Center
- New York Film Festival
- Cinémathèque Française
- Public Broadcast Laboratory
- Tee Pee Video Space Troupe
- UCLA
- L.A. Rebellion
- Fort Worth Symphony
- World Trade Center
- Milestone Film and Video
- Project Shirley
- The New Yorker
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Westchester
- Manhattan
- Paris
- France
- Harlem
- Montreal
- Canada
- Los Angeles
- California
- Fort Worth
- Texas
- Massachusetts
- Baltimore
- Maryland
- Chapel Hill
- North Carolina
- Venice
- Italy
- Cannes
- Brussels
- Belgium