Telling Stories: Norman Rockwell from the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg

A while back, I mentioned the Sunday Morning interview with George Lucas and Spielberg regarding their Norman Rockwell Collection.  Since then I realized that this collection is on exhibition at Smithsonian Art museum  in Washington from July 2, 2010 – January 2, 2011.  I would love to go, but that is not happening these days and unfortunately it is not going on tour.  

http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/archive/2010/rockwell/

Well, I still can’t find the interview online, but I found a forty minute audio cast in conjunction with a slideshow covering the exhibition.  It might be a little long to show in class, but it is interesting to hear both Spielberg and Lucas’ perspective on Rockwell as an artist and a story teller.   And how it translate to the film industry.  

In the 3D world, rendering produces a final image or series of images and ultimately it is a way to communicate your ideas or tell a story.   Whether it is used for forensic litigation or commercial; it tells a story.  I think a lot can be learned from Rockwell’s planning process to the subtle details.  His work is just amazing.  People spend years trying to find the right word for a story or finishing that last edit on a film, Rockwell can tell it all with one painting.  


I just recently purchased “Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera” and man it is a great book.  It really dives into the process behind his work.  The book features the photographs that he used in creating his artworks and you can see the story unfold with the series of images that were taken and then how he captures them in his paintings.  It is more than just seeing the images behind the work, it is the process that got them there.   It is worth adding to your classroom collection. – Cornell

Here is a quick overview . . .

Here is the full forty minute audio cast of the exhibition:

This short interview is with the senior curator of the show “Telling Stories: Norman Rockwell from the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg”. The interview covers a brief overview of the show and the Lucas /Spielberg interview. The audio is poor and has a bit of an echo, but is a brief overview – 9 mintutes.