Articles by Nick Ravich

Tommy Hartung’s Heart of Darkness: Mutant Artists, Fake News & Insta Filmmaking

Tommy Hartung’s Heart of Darkness: Mutant Artists, Fake News & Insta Filmmaking

Art21’s director of production Nick Ravich sits down with “New York Close Up” artist Tommy Hartung in Forest Park, Queens for a spontaneous, unmediated interview.

Deep Focus: Inside Art21 Films

Six Tips for Shooting Underwater Video

Deep Focus: Inside Art21 Films

Six Tips for Shooting Underwater Video

Art21’s Director of Production offers helpful tips for shooting video underwater after filming Caroline Woolard’s sculptures on a Rockaway beach for a “New York Close Up” film.

Art21 New York Close Up

Matt Roche & Jaimie Warren’s Big Extended Whoop Dee Doo Family

Art21 New York Close Up

Matt Roche & Jaimie Warren’s Big Extended Whoop Dee Doo Family

The dedicated crew behind Whoop Dee Doo discuss the artistic and emotional pull of their uniquely collaborative community art project.

Art21 New York Close Up

Daniel Gordon Looks Back

Art21 New York Close Up

Daniel Gordon Looks Back

Photographer Daniel Gordon reflects on his decade-long commitment to intensive practice and artistic invention in a new film from the ART21 “New York Close Up” series.

Deep Focus: Inside Art21 Films

Flying High: My Chicago Drone Day

Deep Focus: Inside Art21 Films

Flying High: My Chicago Drone Day

Through photos and GIFs, Director of Production Nick Ravich chronicles ten hours of filming with drones in Chicago for Season 8 of “Art in the Twenty-First Century.”

Art21 New York Close Up

Marela Zacarías’s Great Expectations

Art21 New York Close Up

Marela Zacarías’s Great Expectations

Artist Marela Zacarías completes a large-scale project while anticipating the arrival of her first child in a new film from the ART21 “New York Close Up” series.

Art21 New York Close Up

Jaimie Warren Is A Total Character

Art21 New York Close Up

Jaimie Warren Is A Total Character

In a new “New York Close Up” film, artist Jaimie Warren as recreates a wild array of pop culture characters for her photographic and video work.

Art21 New York Close Up

Caroline Woolard Steps Up to the Mic

Art21 New York Close Up

Caroline Woolard Steps Up to the Mic

Today’s New York Close Up premiere—our first film with artist Caroline Woolard—is a little different. And that has everything to do with Caroline. Her work involving affordable space in New …

Art21 New York Close Up

Caroline Woolard Flips the Real Estate Script

Art21 New York Close Up

Caroline Woolard Flips the Real Estate Script

An introduction to the latest “New York Close Up” film from series co-creator/co-producer Nick Ravich and artist Caroline Woolard .

Artist Jamian Juliano-Villani in her Bedford-Stuyvesant studio, Brooklyn, NY, 2015. Production still from the ART21 "New York Close Up" film "Jamian Juliano-Villani's Painting Compulsion". © ART21, Inc. 2015.

Art21 New York Close Up

Jamian Juliano-Villani’s Painting Compulsion

Art21 New York Close Up

Jamian Juliano-Villani’s Painting Compulsion

Filmed in her Bedford-Stuyvesant studio, artist Jamian Juliano-Villani uses a digital projector to create surreal paintings and discusses the graphic source material that inspires her.

Art21 New York Close Up

Diana Al-Hadid Plays the Classics

Art21 New York Close Up

Diana Al-Hadid Plays the Classics

Artist Diana Al-Hadid creates a singularly hybrid artwork, transforming brushstrokes on a wall into architectural sculpture, in a new film from the ART21 “New York Close Up” series.

Art21 New York Close Up

Rashid Johnson Keeps His Cool

Art21 New York Close Up

Rashid Johnson Keeps His Cool

In a new ART21 “New York Close Up” film, artist Rashid Johnson charts a decade-long aesthetic and professional development from his early portrait photographs to his later conceptually-based sculptures.

Art21 New York Close Up

Alejandro Almanza Pereda Escapes from New York

Art21 New York Close Up

Alejandro Almanza Pereda Escapes from New York

In a new ART21 New York Close Up film, artist Alejandro Almanza Pereda lives out his own personal “Escape from New York” (1981), completing a big mission before time runs out.

Art21 New York Close Up

We Are Family: Seven New Artists Join “New York Close Up”

Art21 New York Close Up

We Are Family: Seven New Artists Join “New York Close Up”

Art21 Director of Production and “New York Close Up” series co-creator/co-producer introduces new artists to the “New York Close Up” series roster.

Smack Mellon Could Use Your Help!

Smack Mellon Could Use Your Help!

Smack Mellon was seriously damaged during Hurricane Sandy. You can help by attending Wienerfest & Fundraiser, where fifty percent of full price ticket sales will go to Smack Mellon relief.

Art21 New York Close Up

Eddie Martinez Is Ready For His New York Close Up

Art21 New York Close Up

Eddie Martinez Is Ready For His New York Close Up

Hot off the Mac Pro tower (well, hot off the Mac Pro tower yesterday), our latest film: “Eddie Martinez Whistles While He Works.” I have to admit–shooting the material that …

Art21 New York Close Up

Double Premiere Friday! Mika Rottenberg & Jon Kessler cast all shapes & sizes

Art21 New York Close Up

Double Premiere Friday! Mika Rottenberg & Jon Kessler cast all shapes & sizes

As promised this Friday’s release is a double premiere—it’s the first film featuring one of New York Close Up’s eight new artists as well as the first film featuring artist …

Art21 New York Close Up

Mika Tajima Customizes Herman Miller

Art21 New York Close Up

Mika Tajima Customizes Herman Miller

Calling everybody with a love/hate relationship to modernist furniture design, we’ve got the film for you–”Mika Tajima Versus the Cubicle.” When we first visited artist Mika Tajima at her studio …

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

On Location: Marwencol / An Interview with “Marwencol” filmmaker Jeff Malmberg

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

On Location: Marwencol / An Interview with “Marwencol” filmmaker Jeff Malmberg

Sadly, this is Nick’s last post for the foreseeable future.  At least we know he’s not able to contribute for good reasons. Season 6 production has started to seriously heat …

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

On Location: Dr. Doc | An Interview with Thom Powers

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

On Location: Dr. Doc | An Interview with Thom Powers

I’m back from my summer break and ready to change things up a bit with this column.  So instead of the usual long laundry list of documentary various and sundry, …

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

Live Jitters, Mendocino Film Festival, and Real Art

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

Live Jitters, Mendocino Film Festival, and Real Art

Howdy y’all.  First a little news from Art21 production HQ.  After a successful shoot in London (expect an Exclusive on Season 5 artist Yinka Shonibare’s just-unveiled Nelson’s Ship in a …

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

London Calling, Going Tapeless & Meta Madness

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

London Calling, Going Tapeless & Meta Madness

Art21’s Season 6, at least as far as video production is concerned, is getting a little more real everyday.  We’re deep in the throes of pre-producing our first honest-to-god shoot …

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

Art21 Extended Play

100th Exclusive & William Kentridge Exclusives, Carrie Mae Weems Uncut, the problem with talking, and screenings

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

Art21 Extended Play

100th Exclusive & William Kentridge Exclusives, Carrie Mae Weems Uncut, the problem with talking, and screenings

As usual, there’s a lot of production-related ground to cover I’d like to cover.  First, I really need to publicly acknowledge what’s hopefully no longer a private landmark, the release …

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

Frederick Wiseman, Orphan Films, FIFA Montreal, & Other Documentary Screenings

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

Frederick Wiseman, Orphan Films, FIFA Montreal, & Other Documentary Screenings

Though it’s been a particularly busy past few weeks here at Art21 production HQ – creating new exclusive videos, shooting the preparation and rehearsals for William Kentridge’s Nose production at …

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

Karen Schmeer, the Maysles Brothers, & Art Doc Screenings in NYC

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

Karen Schmeer, the Maysles Brothers, & Art Doc Screenings in NYC

Before I do anything, I want to mention the very sad passing of an important member of the independent documentary community, Karen Schmeer. Karen was killed in a hit and …

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

Julie Mehretu & the Problem of Shooting Big

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

Julie Mehretu & the Problem of Shooting Big

In our new column, On Location, Art21 Director of Production Nick Ravich breaks his silence and gives you the scoop on Art21’s production comings and goings including, among other things, …

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

On Location: Filming Art21 Educators in Southern California

On Location: Inside Art Documentary Production

On Location: Filming Art21 Educators in Southern California

In our new column, On Location, Art21 Director of Production Nick Ravich breaks his silence and gives you the scoop on Art21’s production comings and goings including, among other things, …