Realism & Reverie: Alice Neel's New York on Film (15*) + Introduction by Larne Abse Gogarty
These films explore Alice Neel's leftist bohemianism: from the Communist cultural front of the 1930s to the Beats to queer communities in the 1960s.
Neel's commitment to realism emphasised that glimmers of freedom could appear within struggles against poverty and oppression. Ralph Steiner's Pie in the Sky, produced within the context of the Communist International sponsored Workers Film and Photo League, captured the dynamic between the reality of the Depression, and daily fantasies of success and pleasure.
Steiner, like Neel, bridged the gap between 1930s communist culture and 1950-1960s bohemia. Jack Smith's Flaming Creatures is a classic of American queer experimental cinema. While the Communist culture of the '30s suffered from the impact of McCarthyism, those forms of censorship laid the ground for the obscenity charges taken out against Smith in the '60s. Paired together, these films allow us to consider Neel's movement through various artistic and political scenes in New York.
Programme:
Pie in the Sky
US 1934 dir NYKINO 22 mins (SD Digital file)
Flaming Creatures
US 1963 dir Jack Smith 45 mins (16mm)
Larne Abse Gogarty is Lecturer in History and Theory of Art at the Slade School of Fine Art. She is the author of Usable Pasts: Social Practice and State Formation in American Art (Brill, 2022)
This event is part of the public programme of events surrounding the exhibition Alice Neel: Hot Off The Griddle, Thu 16 Feb — Sun 21 May 2023 in the Barbican Gallery.
This is a past event. Subscribe to our newsletters to hear about upcoming events
Booking fees
£1.50 booking fee per online/phone transaction.
No fee when tickets are booked in person.
Booking fees are per transaction and not per ticket. If your booking contains several events the highest booking fee will apply. The booking fee may be reduced on certain events. Members do not pay booking fees.
Related Events
See more film for less
Cinema 2
Location
Barbican Cinema 2 & 3 are located on Beech Street, a short walk from the Barbican’s Silk Street entrance. From Silk Street, you’ll see a zebra crossing that will take you across the road to the venue.
Address
Beech Street
London
EC2Y 8DS
Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.
We’ve plenty of places for you to relax and replenish, from coffee and cake to wood-fired pizzas and full pre-theatre menus
Access
Cinemas 2 & 3 are located at Beech Street, a short walk from the Barbican Centre’s main Silk Street entrance. There are a couple of steep, dropped kerbs and an incline to negotiate between the two sites. Level access from Beech Street.
Mobility
Each auditorium has three permanent wheelchair spaces (two in the third row and one in the front row) and 153 fixed seats with capacity for a further three spaces in the front row. Access to each auditorium is up a ramp. There are also a number of seats with step-free access.
Assistance dogs
Assistance dogs may be taken into the cinema – please tell us when booking to ensure your seat has enough space. If you prefer, you may leave your dog with a member of the foyer staff during the performance.
Hearing facility
An infrared system for hard of hearing customers is provided in each auditorium; headsets or neck loops can be collected from foyer staff. The ticket desk counter is fitted with an induction loop.
For more access information, please visit our Accessibility section.