Independent filmmakers Harlow Figa and Sarah Moses invite viewers to experience what happens when art isn’t just seen, but is encountered through touch and sound.
Since Harry Bertoia’s death in 1978 until 2016, his iconic Sonambient sculptures were open to the public at his family barn in rural Pennsylvania. Bertoia, a documentary in production, documents the final days before the collection was moved off-site and traces the ongoing legacy of Bertoia and his body of work.
Harry Bertoia is an iconic figure in modern art, with work featured in museums and collections around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the British Museum. Bertoia received international acclaim for his furniture designs with Knoll, but is also held in high regard for his jewelry, monoprints, and sculptures.
Throughout his prolific career, Bertoia created thousands of sculptures, including his Sonambients: sculptures comprised of metal rods that reverberate when moved by wind or a touch of the hand, releasing an array of otherworldly, resonant tones. Since his death in 1978, Bertoia’s core collection of nearly 100 Sonambient sculptures was open to the public in his family barn in Berks County, PA.
In Spring of 2016, the Bertoia documentary team learned that Bertoia’s Sonambient collection was to be permanently removed, and decided it was imperative to document and preserve the visual and sonic experience of the Sonambient Barn. Over the past year, the team has collaborated closely with Bertoia’s children to gain an intimate and nuanced view of Bertoia as an artist, father, husband, and innovator. The filmmakers have gathered over seventy hours of footage, and are still in the process of filming and interviewing artists, art historians, and former collaborators.
The filmmakers are producing a feature-length documentary on Harry Bertoia that follows the trajectory of the Sonambient collection, his family, and his legacy, while increasing public knowledge of his extensive and versatile works. The viewer is invited to be immersed in the rich sounds and visuals of Sonambient, using the Barn as an entry point into the world of Bertoia.
This documentary is still in production, and the team is seeking support to continue work on the film through a crowdfunding and distribution platform for independent filmmakers.
Follow the Bertoia documentary on social media to stay up to date on the film’s progress.
About Seltzer Media LLC
Seltzer Media LLC is a small, privately held independent film company. At present we are in production for the documentary film Bertoia.
